• Sigma collage, Photography by ASH

Sigma

Gandini Juggling and Seeta Patel explore Bharatanatyam dance
2017
Sigma trascends cultural barriers and stimulatES imaginationS.

Gandini Juggling have a reputation for innovation - pushing the boundaries of their art form by combining contemporary circus with dance and narrative. The resulting productions have challenged perceptions of what juggling is and can be and have forced the threshold of the genre in its own unique direction. 

Sigma is an opportunity to further explore these dialogues and showcase the multiplicity between bharatanatyam dance, juggling and percussion. Developed in partnership with Seeta Patel, a specialist in bharatanatyam aesthetics, dancer Indu Panday and Kati Ylä-Hokkala & Kim Huynh - pioneering jugglers from Gandini Juggling, the work investigates classical Indian geometries, mathematics, and rythm by looking at similarities and differences, processes and choreographic architectures. 

The human side of the collaboration transcends the pure structure and looks at invented ethnologies and imaginary rituals, when both bharatanatyam and juggling come with a myriad of associated archetypes. Gandini are keen to play with these ideologies, distort them and intermingle them and then inhabit the hybrid landscapes in which they are created. 


ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS

Seeta Patel, specialist in Bharatanatyam technique, has toured with DV8 Physical Theatre, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, David Hughes Dance Company and Mavin Khoo Dance amongst others. Seeta has been under the mentorship of Alistair Spalding, CBE, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sadler's Wells(Dance UK 2014/5 programme). Awarded with the Washington S&R Award (2017) andBest Dance and the Peace Foundation Award at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Not Today's Yesterday, 2018).

Indu Panday has collaborated with several internationally acclaimed dancers and choreographers. In the past years she performed in both classical as contemporary Indian dance productions, led by different choreographers like Kalpana Raghuraman, Kenzo Kusuda, Sri Hari and Smt. Chethana Hari, and Revanta Sarabhai.

Kati Ylä-Hokkala is one of her generation's iconic jugglers. Renowned as one of the leading innovators in dance/juggling, her ability to combine movement and extremely complex coordination is second to none. A former rhythmic gymnast, Kati's juggling has a unique calm precision which comes from 25 years of throwing whilst standing on one leg. In recent years she has co-directed many of the company's pieces.

Kim Huynh, trained in classical dance from the age of four in Germany. She continued in contemporary dance and received her dance certificate in 2003 at the Conservatoire de Saint Denis in France. Self-taught in juggling from the age of 10, Huynh has been working since 2004 as a professional juggler in companies that combine dance and juggling, such as the Cie Jérôme Thomas, Cie 14:20, and Gandini Juggling. In 2008 she co-founded the French company Sens Dessus Dessous, which focuses on choreographed juggling, merging dance, object manipulation, and juggling.


AWARDS
 
Total Theatre Award for Visual Theatre (2017)
Asian Arts Award for Best Directing (2017)


PRESS

It looks, and is, exquisitely beautiful ★★★★★ The Herald
A Show that is quitely mesmerising ★★★★ The List
Astonishing skills in a clever and engrossing piece ★★★★ The Stage
Sigma is not your usual juggling ahow and is all the better for it ★★★★ Broadway Baby
A truly artful mash-up of distinct skills ★★★★ The Times


PARTNERS

Co-produced by: London International Mime Festival (UK)
Supported by: Watermans Theatre (UK)


VIDEO

Sigma full-length video: