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Lives of Clay (2022)
My role: choreography and movement direction
‘101 supported Lives of Clay through its creation, excited by the potential of Vidya’s idea to combine dance with ceramics. The result is beyond what we could have imagined; a rich, absorbing and moving mix of the mythic and the human. Lives of Clay holds the audience attention and offers something entirely new to the outdoor arts scene.’ - 101 Outdoor Arts
‘A very powerful and uplifting performance. World class. The clay was so expressive; never seen anything like this before.’ - Audience member
‘An unbelievably thrilling, conceptually deep and emotionally rich creation.’ - Audience member
I first met Vidya Thirunarayan while we were both teaching at Swindon Dance. Our collaboration, For Those I Have Talked With by the Fire, premiered in 1994, beginning a 30-year creative partnership.
Lives of Clay, our seventh choreographic collaboration, brings stories of women from ancient myth and modern times vividly to life through classical Indian dance, original music, and half a ton of clay. Conceived and performed by Vidya, the solo combines her mastery of Bharata Natyam with her skill as a potter. The production was commissioned and supported by Without Walls, Brighton Festival, Certain Blacks, 101 Outdoor Arts, Arts Asia, and Arts Council England. and produced at 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space. Lives of Clay toured outdoor festivals across the UK in 2022 and in the UK and India in 2023, including the TATA LitFest, NCPA Mumbai, and Serendipity Festival, Goa.
