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-7:00 PM
March Dance 2025 | Meet//Repeat
Dance - Residency & Performance |in cooperation with Basement 21, Design Beku, tanzbar_bremen
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Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Auditorium, Chennai
- Language English
- Price All are welcome
Since 2023, the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan in New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Chennai, in collaboration with tanzbar_bremen, has been developing a project to enhance the visibility and accessibility of dance through inclusive ensembles.
Following an intensive workshop in 2024, this year artists from tanzbar_bremen will participate in two residencies in India.
In March 2025, tanzbar_bremen will collaborate with artists from Bengaluru and Chennai for a creative residency in Bengaluru from 5th to 18th March. This immersive exchange will culminate in a performance, which will be showcased on 22nd March as part of the March Dance Festival in Chennai.
Participating Artists:
Bengaluru
SHAILESH is a passionate Bhangra dancer with a visual disability. Trained under a renowned Punjabi Guru, he has mastered the energetic art of Bhangra and has performed at various events over the years.
Beyond performing, Shailesh is dedicated to promoting inclusivity in dance. He has taught Bhangra to both blind and sighted participants, leading to a remarkable performance at a TED Talk organized by Dayanand Sagar University.
He also conducts corporate and organizational workshops, using blindfolded Bhangra as a powerful tool for sensitization and team-building. Through verbal instructions, he guides participants in experiencing dance beyond sight, fostering empathy, coordination, and trust.
HARSHINI BOYALLA is an actor, folk artist, and former practicing architect based in Bangalore, exploring the intersection of performance, gender, and design. She is an active member of ADAVI Arts Collective, a folk arts troupe that engages in discussions on caste and gender through art.
Her creative works include "Har Ek Baat," a musical video she directed and performed in, as well as "Kanmashi," a video artwork she directed and performed. Both pieces were featured on Homegrown, a multimedia platform for artists.
Harshini continues to explore folk arts, including Parai, Devarattam, and Yellamma songs, integrating these traditions into her performances. She is currently developing a project titled “Beauty Parlour,” which examines societal perceptions of beauty through performance.
CHENNAI
CHANDIRAN R is a yoga therapist with an M.Sc in Yoga Therapy. He is trained in Kalaripayattu, theatre, and contemporary movement practices and has earned accolades in several national and international yoga competitions.
As a performer, Chandiran has been part of notable productions, including:
Choreography & Artistic Exploration
As a choreographer, Chandiran has created works that push the boundaries of movement and accessibility. His duet Thodarbu (2019) examines the dynamics of movement between able-bodied and differently-abled dancers, emphasizing asymmetry and shared challenges. In 2023, he choreographed Vaasi Pinnal 12, a duet that explores the 12 vital energy channels within the body, performed alongside a deaf-mute dancer.
DEIVAMANI S is a national-level football player and a B.Com graduate. Although not a formally trained classical dancer, his natural rhythm, openness to exploration, and intuitive connection to movement have greatly enriched the creative process in contemporary dance.
His ability to adapt and respond to movement has been instrumental in performances such as Vaasi Pinnal 12 (2023) by Chandiran, where he explored the intricate interplay of two bodies responding to silence and minimal sound. He has also performed in The Weight of Joy by Eric Languet (2017).
Beyond his artistic endeavors, Deivamani is a dedicated sign language volunteer and a strong advocate for inclusivity in the arts.
TUSHTI ARAVIND is a dancer and artist from Chennai. She has trained in classical ballet for over 15 years and in contemporary dance techniques for five years.
Currently, she is exploring dance and improvisation in collaboration with other dancers and interdisciplinary artists. She has been actively involved with the contemporary artist collective Basement 21 and their annual dance festival, March Dance.
She is at the beginning of her performative journey in contemporary dance and was part of the production Stilling by Padmini Chettur. She aspires to integrate various forms of creative expression into a unified artistic space. Her interests extend to the human psyche and its connection to different expressions of the self.
TANZBAR BREMEN
DANIEL RIEDEL is a guest performer at tanzbar_bremen, since 2019, he has been teaching open dance and stage training at tanzbar_bremen as a guest lecturer. In addition, he leads workshops and training programs in collaboration with the team.
Due to an incomplete queer-cut paralysis, he relies on a wheelchair in daily life. However, his physical impairment does not hinder his passion for the arts. He is a trained graphic designer and has studied social work in Bremen.
Beyond his work with tanzbar_bremen, Daniel Riedel performs as an actor, pantomime artist, and puppeteer. He has collaborated with Blaumeier Atelier Bremen, the TheaterSpielhaus in Munich, and other artistic institutions.
TIM GERHARDS first appeared on stage as a dancer with the ensemble of tanzbar_bremen in SommerNacht (2016). Since then, he has worked as a freelance artist, collaborating on various projects with the team. In addition to performing, he contributes as a dancer, choreographer, and project developer for tanzbar_bremen.
He studied contemporary dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen until 2010. From 2010 to 2012, he was a dancer with Tanztheater Bremen under the artistic direction of Urs Dietrich. Following this, he worked as a freelance dancer, actor, and dance educator across various locations in Germany. Since 2016, he has primarily been based in Bremen, working as a
choreographer and theatre maker.
Since 2017, he has been creating performances with the independent artists’ collective unperform, exploring theatre, dance, performance, and music. Through unperform, he aims to develop interdisciplinary and inclusive works that address socially relevant topics, engaging audiences from diverse backgrounds. Regional and national networking remains a key aspect of his work, particularly through collaborations with tanzbar_bremen.
Collaborating Partners:
Basement 21
Design Beku
tanzbar_bremen
Following an intensive workshop in 2024, this year artists from tanzbar_bremen will participate in two residencies in India.
In March 2025, tanzbar_bremen will collaborate with artists from Bengaluru and Chennai for a creative residency in Bengaluru from 5th to 18th March. This immersive exchange will culminate in a performance, which will be showcased on 22nd March as part of the March Dance Festival in Chennai.
- Dance theater piece about meeting and getting to know each other.
- Bodies collide.
- Characters encounter one another. Souls connect. How?
- Which conventions play a role?
- Which behaviors repeat themselves?
- Are there rituals we want to question?
- Groups from different continents meet for the first time and process these encounters through an artistic journey.
Participating Artists:
Bengaluru
SHAILESH is a passionate Bhangra dancer with a visual disability. Trained under a renowned Punjabi Guru, he has mastered the energetic art of Bhangra and has performed at various events over the years.
Beyond performing, Shailesh is dedicated to promoting inclusivity in dance. He has taught Bhangra to both blind and sighted participants, leading to a remarkable performance at a TED Talk organized by Dayanand Sagar University.
He also conducts corporate and organizational workshops, using blindfolded Bhangra as a powerful tool for sensitization and team-building. Through verbal instructions, he guides participants in experiencing dance beyond sight, fostering empathy, coordination, and trust.
HARSHINI BOYALLA is an actor, folk artist, and former practicing architect based in Bangalore, exploring the intersection of performance, gender, and design. She is an active member of ADAVI Arts Collective, a folk arts troupe that engages in discussions on caste and gender through art.
Her creative works include "Har Ek Baat," a musical video she directed and performed in, as well as "Kanmashi," a video artwork she directed and performed. Both pieces were featured on Homegrown, a multimedia platform for artists.
Harshini continues to explore folk arts, including Parai, Devarattam, and Yellamma songs, integrating these traditions into her performances. She is currently developing a project titled “Beauty Parlour,” which examines societal perceptions of beauty through performance.
CHENNAI
CHANDIRAN R is a yoga therapist with an M.Sc in Yoga Therapy. He is trained in Kalaripayattu, theatre, and contemporary movement practices and has earned accolades in several national and international yoga competitions.
As a performer, Chandiran has been part of notable productions, including:
- Crawling Animal by Padmini Chettur (2015)
- Conditions of Carriage by Preethi Athreya (2016)
- The Weight of Joy by Eric Languet (2017)
- Theenda Theenda by Akila (2018)
Choreography & Artistic Exploration
As a choreographer, Chandiran has created works that push the boundaries of movement and accessibility. His duet Thodarbu (2019) examines the dynamics of movement between able-bodied and differently-abled dancers, emphasizing asymmetry and shared challenges. In 2023, he choreographed Vaasi Pinnal 12, a duet that explores the 12 vital energy channels within the body, performed alongside a deaf-mute dancer.
DEIVAMANI S is a national-level football player and a B.Com graduate. Although not a formally trained classical dancer, his natural rhythm, openness to exploration, and intuitive connection to movement have greatly enriched the creative process in contemporary dance.
His ability to adapt and respond to movement has been instrumental in performances such as Vaasi Pinnal 12 (2023) by Chandiran, where he explored the intricate interplay of two bodies responding to silence and minimal sound. He has also performed in The Weight of Joy by Eric Languet (2017).
Beyond his artistic endeavors, Deivamani is a dedicated sign language volunteer and a strong advocate for inclusivity in the arts.
TUSHTI ARAVIND is a dancer and artist from Chennai. She has trained in classical ballet for over 15 years and in contemporary dance techniques for five years.
Currently, she is exploring dance and improvisation in collaboration with other dancers and interdisciplinary artists. She has been actively involved with the contemporary artist collective Basement 21 and their annual dance festival, March Dance.
She is at the beginning of her performative journey in contemporary dance and was part of the production Stilling by Padmini Chettur. She aspires to integrate various forms of creative expression into a unified artistic space. Her interests extend to the human psyche and its connection to different expressions of the self.
TANZBAR BREMEN
DANIEL RIEDEL is a guest performer at tanzbar_bremen, since 2019, he has been teaching open dance and stage training at tanzbar_bremen as a guest lecturer. In addition, he leads workshops and training programs in collaboration with the team.
Due to an incomplete queer-cut paralysis, he relies on a wheelchair in daily life. However, his physical impairment does not hinder his passion for the arts. He is a trained graphic designer and has studied social work in Bremen.
Beyond his work with tanzbar_bremen, Daniel Riedel performs as an actor, pantomime artist, and puppeteer. He has collaborated with Blaumeier Atelier Bremen, the TheaterSpielhaus in Munich, and other artistic institutions.
TIM GERHARDS first appeared on stage as a dancer with the ensemble of tanzbar_bremen in SommerNacht (2016). Since then, he has worked as a freelance artist, collaborating on various projects with the team. In addition to performing, he contributes as a dancer, choreographer, and project developer for tanzbar_bremen.
He studied contemporary dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen until 2010. From 2010 to 2012, he was a dancer with Tanztheater Bremen under the artistic direction of Urs Dietrich. Following this, he worked as a freelance dancer, actor, and dance educator across various locations in Germany. Since 2016, he has primarily been based in Bremen, working as a
choreographer and theatre maker.
Since 2017, he has been creating performances with the independent artists’ collective unperform, exploring theatre, dance, performance, and music. Through unperform, he aims to develop interdisciplinary and inclusive works that address socially relevant topics, engaging audiences from diverse backgrounds. Regional and national networking remains a key aspect of his work, particularly through collaborations with tanzbar_bremen.
Collaborating Partners:
Basement 21
Design Beku
tanzbar_bremen
Location
Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Auditorium
No 4 Rutland Gate 5th Street
Chennai 600006
India
No 4 Rutland Gate 5th Street
Chennai 600006
India