The Spirit of Frida / Kandam Ostinato

After a tour of theatres in London, Los Angeles, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, the Dutch-Indian choreographer Kalpana Raghuraman will finally perform her solo The Spirit of Frida in the Netherlands.The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was the victim of a serious accident in her youth, which influenced the rest of her life. Her turbulent life seemed to only stimulate her creativity. Working from her bed, she created another world in her paintings. For Kalpana, Frida Kahlo stands for the power, courage, and limitlessness of the human spirit. Frida broke all the rules and became an icon of freedom, perseverance, and feminine emancipation. In this solo, Kalpana goes in search of the indomitable Spirit of Frida.

What does Canto Ostinato by Simeon ten Holt have in common with Indian dance? In the Indian musical lingo the stirring five-beat measure is called Kandam. Three bharatanatyam dancers are possessed by the rhythm that continuously pulses like a heartbeat. With tightly executed footwork and sustained movements they let themselves be carried away, create images and emotions, and escape only to be drawn back in. In her new dance piece Kalpana Raghuraman tries to understand why it’s so difficult to just be yourself. How can you hold on to your own ideals in this wild world where we often make the opinions of others more important than our own?Tweede voorstelling donderdag 24 oktober, 20u.