The Writing on Dance Laboratory

The Writing on Dance Laboratory is an integral part of the Attakkalari India Biennial. An intensive, collaborative workshop, the ten-day Lab brings together arts writers of diverse backgrounds to discuss, critique, and imagine new possibilities for dance writing in South Asia. Participants attend festival performances and talks by specially invited experts from various disciplines. These conversations form the starting points for participants to write their responses to festival happenings. These writings are posted on Ligament, Attakkalari's online magazine.

Participants:

• Dayita Nereyeth is a dancer and writer currently based in Bangalore. She enjoys performing, conducting research on the mind and movement, doodling, and watching cooking competitions.
• Himalay K Gohel is a PhD student who works in the area of traditional movement practices of Saurashtra. He occasionally performs and teaches the community dance Garba. His other interests lie in exploring the muscle memory and kinaesthetic learning.
• Parvathi Ramanathan likes to dance, write, and explore. She is interested in questions of identity pertaining to nations and borders, especially about how these manifest in the body and in everyday life. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, now exploring other forms of movement and expression.
• Ian Abbott is a producer and writer based in Scotland. He likes to make things happen using dance, words, art, and books. He can often be found rummaging in alternative fields of thought to translate, repackage, and enhance existing models.
• Swar Thounaojam is a playwright, theatre director, and performer. She was a participant in the 2011 and 2013 editions of the Writing on Dance Laboratory.

Facilitators: Poorna Swami | Joshua Muyiwa

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