The annual dance theatre production Naya Zamana has grown to become a terrific theatrical experience and a significant social one, based on the occasion, the statements and what the performance wants to say to its audience.
Outstanding in the provision of that experience, the Dharmic Nritya Sangh dance company recently performed “Naya Zamana 23: Zindagi Express” at the National Cultural Centre, an elaborate dance drama written, choreographed and directed by Dr Vindhya Persaud.
This performing group comes out of the Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, which produces the annual production. The Nritya Sang, over many years, has become a foremost group with a wide range of experience in Guyana and overseas, including national representation at past Carifestas. The members understand the brand of theatre offered by Naya Zamana and are highly competent in the various styles of dance and the necessary sense of drama.
Given the very large cast, the multiplicity of changing sets and the several different dances, the pace and fluency of the performance were incredible. The company exhibited consistently high levels of energy, good control from Dr Persaud as director, and what was quite clearly a very high level of discipline.
“Zindagi Express” was a tale of women with considerable statements of interest to feminism, including themes of liberation, courage and self-discovery, friendship, determination, independence and triumph. It followed a plot built around girls in particularly demanding and testing periods, struggling against adversity but guided by ambition, standards and self-belief. While up against unfriendly situations and adversaries, they were not without a certain sustaining belief in self, friends and others willing to offer support.
It was, however, dance drama of a particular type, driven, of course, by music and dance, with support from the thoroughness of its staging. Dr Persaud paid attention to the technical areas of theatre and went to great lengths to provide what the production needed, especially in lighting and sound, areas in which the National Cultural Centre struggles. The facilities were augmented by moving in highly efficient equipment to eliminate lighting deficiencies and provide clear, clean sound quality. These made an obvious impact, so much so that the slowness of several lighting cues could have been overlooked.
“Zindagi Express” had a scripted plot, with a degree of social importance, and major acting roles, but there were specific resounding strengths. These were numerous. It was dance theatre of high calibre. The large, sold-out audience would have been impressed by the spectacle, the choreography, the dances, the energy, the thoroughness of technical stage support and teamwork.
It was dance drama of a particular brand exhibited by Naya Zamana. There was a very marked influence of Bollywood, which included some cinematographic effects, deep emotions, some humour and high-powered music.
Most prominent among the outstanding strengths was the spectacle. Some of this might be characteristics found in Bollywood, but they are certainly the achievements of Naya Zamana over the many years. Spectacle is a high point of this type of dance theatre and it includes the visual effects of the staging. The set was considerably impactful. Its use of colour well supported the sense of energy and kept in tune with a sense of place and environment.
There were several set changes which did not retard pace or fluency because of the use of technology. Pieces were flown in and promptly negotiated. They were brightly coloured and gave good visual support to the dances. There were moveable set pieces but clever arrangements to provide uncomplicated but effective scenery where this was needed.
Another very impressive element of spectacle was the costuming. This was specifically outstanding among the dancers. There were sequences in which dance was not just a filler or an item but supported the plot. They were sometimes choric, sometimes lending support to the principal actors. When this happened, it did so subtly, and this delicate blending had much to do with the costuming. It was not merely spectacular but had some depth.
Attention was paid to detail, and this was quite remarkable given the virtual hundreds of pieces in the wide variety of dances. This was the kind of quality that won awards and prizes in past years.
Dance was a high point in the production. Choreography was a major achievement because of the number of pieces and the intricate matrix of different dances. There was no monotony. There was variety in styles. Moreover, the dances had to match the moods, the emotions and the changes of fortune that were there in the plot. Always, there was the intensity in the drama that was sustained by dance and gave the impression of an extremely high workload and inexhaustible capacity.
While many things were being satisfied by dance in this production, including plot movement and support, mood and tone, pace, chorus and spectacle, one thing that was never forgotten was entertainment. The drama was entertaining, and the continuous punctuations of dance pieces heightened this throughout the length of the production.
As the various strands of the plot ran concurrently, a number of points were scored. This called for characterisation that had to be created by the principal performers. These were believable and able to convincingly carry the plot with its patchwork of emotions.
Statements were made through the dramatic art. A common element was the romantic – there was the usual love story with the fairy-tale ending. Yet, there was abuse of at least two different types to which the drama spoke. One protagonist had to overcome abuse which was both physical and emotional, and the play effectively negotiated her accumulating experiences of at first, instances of the emotional and psychological. When the physical was visible it was both startling and in character – effective because of its dramatic sharpness, but also because one could say it was not surprising, coming from one who was consistently and selfishly piling on layers of psychological abuse.
The other was a bit less impactful, but the outcome was equally marked. Another protagonist had to put up with bullying from a group of malicious classmates. A calibre of courage had to be displayed by this girl in order to stand up to her tormentors and to bring about a resolution. Interestingly, it was a healing process not only for her, but also for her adversaries.
The drama also had something to say about perseverance and self-belief. Yet another protagonist struggled to make her business enterprise pay and provide for her bills. It was a note of triumph in the end when she had to virtually fall and rise from the ashes to see her good work and refusal to give up pay off, with a little help from her friends.
These fine touches helped to make the drama worth remembering. There were things to last beyond the ring of dance and spectacle. Yet this is not strange for successive series of Naya Zamana. There was not only a love story, but in most cases, there were lessons to be learnt by the leading characters in these dramas. When this worked well, as it did in “Zindagi Express”, it added depth to the work.
This production for Naya Zamana 23 hit the stage with an explosion of colour, sound and high-octane energy, leaving its audience entertained with dance but reminded of less pleasant realities and encouraged by the way resilient women exhibited the independent spirit on the road to triumph.
