Tripura Kashyap - Apoorva Dance Theatre

Tripura Kashyap is a Dancer/Choreographer/Therapist based in Bangalore.
She received a degree in Classical dance from Kalakshetra, Chennai.
She participated in several dance-dramas choreographed by late Rukmini Devi Arundale.
Later, she was part of the Chandralekha Dance Company, Chennai, for several years.
She has also trained in Kalaripayattu (Martial form) from Kerala and Mayurbhanj Chhau (Martial dance) from Orissa.
She studied Dance/Movement Therapy at the Hancock Center of Movement Arts in Wisconsin, U.S.A.
She also holds an M.A in Psychology from Anna Malai University, Chidambaram. She has received the
Ashoka International fellowship for her innovative work in the field of dance therapy.
She was choreographer-in-residence at the American Dance Festival (N. Carolina) where she trained in Jazz Ballet,
Modern dance techniques, Choreography and Dance Theatre.

She has traveled widely in India and abroad performing, conducting workshops and
giving lecture demonstrations on contemporary dance and dance therapy.
Currently she is director of Apoorva Dance Theatre, and is involved in choreography and performance of modern dance.

Tripura Kashyap
Director, Apoorva Dance-theatre,
1185, 35th C Cross, 28th main, 4th T block,
Jaynagar, Bangalore-560041
Ph:91-80- 6642662.
e-mail: tripdance@hotmail.com

Tripura Kashyap – selected performances so far…….

- ICCR tour to China with Kalakshetra dance company,
- Traveled with Chandralekha dance company to USSR, Europe and USA.
- Indian Cultural Association, Nigeria, West Africa,
- Indian Cultural Association, London, England,
- Dancing through winter festival, Madison, Wisconsin,
- Festival of France, Alliance Francaise, Bangalore,
- Nrityostava, Sangeet Natak Academy, Bangalore,
- India International Center, New Delhi,
- Koothupattarai performing arts festival, Chennai,
- Hoysala arts festival, Halebid, Karnataka,
- 5th National ballet festival, Mumbai,
- American Dance Festival, N.Carolina, U.S.A,
- Vikram Sarabhai international arts festival, Ahmedabad,
- Travelled with Editta Braun dance company to Bonn,
Vienna, Luxembourg & Salzburg with production “India”,
- Territory, cross arts collaboration performance, Bangalore,
- The Other Festival, Chennai,
- New Directions, Attakalari dance festival, Cochin,
- Borders, festival of experimental dance, Bangalore,
- IndoJapanese symposium on performance arts, Bangalore,
- 5th Uday Shankar all India ballet & Dance festival, Jaipur,
- National Convention of performing women, Calcutta,
- Attakalari festival of Movement Arts, Trivandrum,
- Indo Pakistan peace forum, Bangalore,
- International Convention on children at risk Hyderabad,
- International Conference on Solar Energy, Alwaye, Kerala
- Chaali – Highway performance circuit. Performed as a soloist in
25 cities& towns, in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.

Apoorva Dance Theatre

Apoorva Dance Theatre based in Bangalore was founded in 1994. The group evolved out of the urge to explore new ways of
expression through dance, to explode old conventions and find a wholly unothodox performance repertoire. Since then,
Apoorva has been enriched by artisteds from varied backgreounds of dance, theatre, music, martial arts, visual arts and yoga.
The group however is not bound by the framework of these disciplines, instead the artists choose to transcend their boundaries
and retain their essentials. Apoorva has been in the forefront of developing awareness for contemporary dance in Bangalore.
In an eclectic way they have fused traditional and modern imagery in their dance. Their work has been presented in major
festivals in India and their work has received critical acclaim for their originality.

Apoorva Dance Theatre offers the following activities & programs :

-on going classes, short term courses/workshops for young adults in creative/contemporary dance.
-training programs for NGO’s , teachers, Mental health professionals, special educators, social workers in Dance/Movement
therapy, creative Dance and Dance pedagogy
-Workshops and Lecture demonstrations on Mayurbhanj Chhau and Choreography.
-Performances of contemporary dance and Mayurbhanj chhau.

Apoorva Dance Theatre – Selected Dance Works

Short Story

Short story has been inspired by an anonymous Kannada folk poem “Jaadara Muduki” – about a woman who eternally
weaves threads that reach the edges of universe. The image of a giant web got etched in my mind. A multi-layered cobweb
using ropes, threads and elastic as an exploratory space was designed. As I improvised under it strong images of late
Ranjabati Sircar came alive, she died at 36, her life too was a short story. The dance explores varied emotions of a woman
who battles with dark spaces within herself.
Concept & Choreography: Tripura Kashyap
Music: Bharat Sharma
Duration: 26 minutes

Raag Marwa

This piece is the dancer’s response to subtle nuances,
moods and varying textures of Rag Marwa.

Choreography: Bharat Sharma
Music: Ali Akbar Khan
Duration: 21 minutes

Neha

Evening near a lake in Bangalore a year ago.
Escape from this near rape situation was a miracle…………

Choreography: Bernard Baumgarten & Tripura Kashyap
Music: Loory Petitgang
Duration: 7 minutes

Festive Drums

An invocatory piece dedicated to the body, it has
been inspired by classical movement patterns in Indian dance.

Choreography:Tripura Kashyap
Music: Mridangam by Palghat Mani Iyer
Duration: 9 minutes

Flight

This piece was originally choreographed for the Festival of Freedom
organized by visual artistes in Bangalore. It is an abstract
piece based on the movement of birds.

Choreography: Tripura Kashyap
Music: Zakhir Hussain
Duration: 9 minutes

Evening

A woman in white moves backwards with a long white cloth trailing in front,
minimal hand gestures and movements of the cloth
embellish the piece.

Choreography: Tripura Kashyap
Vocalist: Anjana Puri
Music arrangement: Bharat Sharma
Duration: 10 minutes

Untitled

A creature inside a sac struggles against gravity and explores the space around.
With great difficulty it finally manages to get vertical.

Choreography: Tripura Kashyap
Music: Bharat Sharma
Duration: 10 minutes

Earth, wind and fire

An abstract piece inspired by traditional dance forms of India
Choreography: Tripura Kashyap
Music: Mickey Hart.
Duration: 10 minutes

Dance/Movement Therapy

Currently Tripura Kashyap conducts training Programs on Dance/Movement Therapy. These are geared towards special educators, teachers, social workers, dancers, therapists and mental health professionals who work with children/adults with special needs. This therapy can be applied to a wide range of diagnostic categories; the mentally challenged, physically disabled, slow learners, the visually & hearing impaired, children with cerebral palsy and autism, schizophrenic adults etc.
Dance therapy is also used with normal children/adults to release stress and help them gain a better understanding of their movement potential, conflicts and needs. The training program consists of 4 broad segments. Theory includes historical evolution, techniques, principles, goals and current status of dance therapy. The practical segment consists of body
preparation exercises, movement activities, games and extra daily techniques from dance theatre. This is followed by a
session on movement assessment in which participants learn to evaluate and analyze movement patterns and behavior.
The concluding segment consists of participants working with groups of children using movement activities that have been taught in the workshop.

Press comments:

Apoorva dance theatre introduced spectators to new horizons in dance being explored with renewed sensibilities
- Pioneer Arts. Mumbai

Their use of body as communicative medium, through innovative techniques arising out of traditional base has been fruitful
- The Hindu, Chennai

Besides its material constituents, the performance seemed to have left no resource unutilized, especially sensory
- Deccan Herald, Bangalore

Tripura’s woman was caught in a web of problems from every day life, her performance was outstanding
- The Statesman, Calcutta

The charismatic choreography of Apoorva bodes well for modern dance in India
- Times of India, Delhi

For more information and current performance schedules, please e-mail Tripura.