Citizens of Dance

When most people think of Indian dance, they think of sparkling costumes, smiling faces, and epic stories of gods and kings. But Indian dance is breaking away from its past, and one choreographer striking out for new territory is the Twin Cities’ Ananya Chatterjea, whose new work, “Daak: Call to Action,” is the second in a trilogy about environmental injustice.

Chatterjea’s dance is based—but only based—in the traditional form odissi. But her company, Ananya Dance Theatre, differs from the traditional. They are women of color from different ethnic origins, who differ as well in age, body type, and previous dance training. But all share a fierce power that comes, Chatterjea says, from connecting to the “map of life” already in every body. Social justice workshops educate and bring the company together, creating what Chatterjea calls an “active citizenry of the dance.”

This informed and empowered company doesn’t just evoke issues of environmental justice; it actively fights the battle. Land crimes aren’t solely about land, Chatterjea says, but about the “closure of the imagination. And once the imagination closes, you can’t even imagine resistance.”

With powerful dance, Ananya Dance Theatre resists—and moves forward. June 12–15. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Mpls., 612-340-1725