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Beyond Bollywood: Choreographer Joya Kazi's 'Rhythm India' showcases the richness of Indian dance
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Internationally renowned choreographer Joya Kazi dazzles Albuquerque with “Rhythm India: Bollywood and Beyond,” a journey across all corners of India and across time, from classical dance styles through pop music-inspired film numbers. Kazi calls the program “a love letter to the Motherland,” and she hopes it will give audiences a small sampling of the kaleidoscopic richness of Indian dance.
“’Bollywood’ is a term coined by the West that doesn’t do justice to the multitude of classical, folk, traditional and commercial art forms India has to offer,” Kazi said. “It unfairly groups television and film industries of different regions, music styles, theater forms and dance disciplines into one cloudy genre.”
The fundamentals of Indian dance were first laid out in an ancient musical theater text, the Natya Shastra, which has proven so influential in Hindu culture it’s been called “the fifth Veda.” (The Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures.)
“Bollywood still follows the Natya Shastra in that all things stem from the heart, the emotion (and) the mood,” Kazi said.
She then quoted a verse: “Where the hands go, there go the eyes. Where the eyes go, there goes the mind. Where the mind goes, there goes the expression. Where the expression goes, there goes the feeling.” In other words, the movements and gestures of dancers can help audiences unlock their feelings.
“Bollywood is not only known for its glamour and entertainment that surpasses any cultural barrier,” Kazi explained, “but also for being able to connect audiences to their rawest emotions.”
Surprisingly, Kazi’s first exposure to Indian dance came from seeing a dancer in Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” music video when she was three.
”Believe it or not, it was the very first time that I had ever seen an Indian dancer, and I was completely mesmerized,” she said. “In a magical moment when the importance and impact of representation could not be any greater, I saw someone who looked like me on television with brown skin, dark eyes and a beautiful bindi.”
”In that moment, I told my mother that I wanted to dance like that,” she said, “mainly because I thought it would enable to me to dance with MJ and marry him.”
Although Kazi’s dreams of marrying Michael Jackson did not come to pass, that initial spark of curiosity led to a lifelong exploration of Indian dance in its multitudinous forms. She has since been able to inspire new generations through her collaborations with contemporary musicians, from A.R. Rahman to DJ Snake.
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”My greatest reward is when those from the East and West equally applaud a piece of work,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s about pushing the culture forward and being creative while being authentic.”
Two of Kazi’s featured dancers in Rhythm India are Krystal Pohaku, senior dance captain, and Tejeswini Chakraborty, junior dance captain.
”Krystal has been with me for a decade and even though she is not of the culture, she has gracefully put in the work to train in all our cultural styles from classical to folk,” Kazi said.
Kazi met Tejeswini Chakraborty on a dance-themed reality television show in India, and they have been working together for seven years.
”She is a professional Bharatnatyam artist from Hyderabad, India, and meticulously represents and passes on that dance tradition with great care and professionalism,” she said.
“You will see Krystal swiftly moving through Kathak chakkars (pirouettes) and swallowing swords, while you’ll get to see Tejeswini bring the ethereal presence of feminine energy as she depicts the divine feminine, ‘Devi,’ in a piece she choreographed herself,” Kazi said. “They are my right and left hands.”
Kazi has studied Indian dance traditions from the north, south, east and west of India, and her cinematic influences are equally eclectic.
”My inspirations span from the classical Kathak choreographies by Pandit Birju Maharaj in ‘Devdas’ to the commercial choreographies of Farah Khan in ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hain,’” she said. “I grew up watching these in awe of the actors, the expressions and the execution. Indian cinema has a sensational sense of cinematography that takes dance to a whole new level!”
Rhythm India brings such cinematic dance magic to the stage while showcasing dance forms beyond the realm of Bollywood. The many styles, moods and musical genres in Kazi’s program are a testament to the richness of her own musical journey.
”Growing up, I would go to Bollywood Star concerts where actors would perform their greatest hits. I never thought I’d get to have that same feeling with my own show as a performer,” she said. “I’m so grateful to my producers, my dancers, my family, and most of all — to the audience. Without you, we would have nowhere to dance our hearts out.”
