Review of "Rogue Gestures/Foreign Bodies" - ODC Theater, San Francisco

Nava’s Artistic Director Nadhi Thekkek and her Creative Co-Instigators Shruti Abhishek and Kamala Devam use a combination of bharatanatyam and what they describe as “experimental movement” to tell their stories. This melding of the classical movement with more naturalistic gestures makes the stories more easily relatable to a present-day Western audience.

Thekkek and her collaborators have created a piece with a clarity of vision and a refreshing succinctness. The piece relies much less on text than other recent pieces exploring similar themes. The absence of spoken word allows us to hear with our hearts rather than our heads.

The sections of pure classical Indian dance shine like jewels, nestled within the larger melded format. We marvel at the exquisite finger positions, long elegant arm gestures, and amazingly unison of the dancers as they move quickly and joyfully, their smiles radiant. Nava Dance Theatre has gracefully married tradition with modernity, allowing for the exploration of modern themes to be appreciated across cultural divides.