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Also this issue: The Bone Collector Love Songs Low Spirits Willkommen Laura Zigman |
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May 30-June 5, 2002
artpicks
When the beautiful woman Draupadi was gambled away in a dice game, it was Lord Krishna who created a magical sari -- traditional Indian clothing which consists of several yards of fabric wrapped around a woman's body -- to "protect her virtue" when the would-be rapist attempted to unravel the endless garment from her body. Fast-forward to today's consumeristic world, and the sari is a different symbol altogether. This weekend, choreographer and dancer Pallabi Chakravorty will perform Threads: Journey of a Sari from Labor to Market with her dance troupe Courtyard Dancers at Kumquat Dance Center.
Taking Indian Kathak dance rhythms and stripping down the classic form, discombobulating it into a disco fashion show, Chakravorty examines the customary Indian dress and its transformation into a global trademark of prêt-à-porter chic.
Underneath this surface layer, Chakravorty aims to give "voice to the invisible, low-paid weavers who handloom and embroider intricate designs" into the clothing, sometimes spending months on a single piece. These Third World artisans would perhaps be shocked to find their exquisite work cheaply copied and mass-produced, even onto the bottom border of denim jeans.
Along with seven other diverse dance performances, Chakravorty and Courtyard Dancers will present their work Threads for the first time as part of the Glue Performance Series.
Pallabi Chakravorty and Courtyard Dancers, June 1 and 2, 8 p.m., $8-$10, Glue Performance Series at Kumquat Dance Center, Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 215-386-5332.
