Kerala Movement Festival begins in Kochi with showcase of contemporary dance performances from India and abroad

When the curtain rises on the first edition of Movement Festival of Kerala (MFOK), a four-day international contemporary dance festival, at the Kerala Fine Arts Hall on November 27, it will be the realization of the dream of dancer/choreographers Sreejith P, Paris Lakshmi and Abhilash VS to create a space for contemporary dance in Kerala. Where contemporary dance is understood as a practice, not just a display of athleticism and physical flexibility as it is perceived.

And at the core of MFOK is BOHO, a community of contemporary dancers created by three dancers. The three have been collaborators since 2021 when Srijit called Lakshmi to discuss this idea of ​​a community and possible collaboration for it. The result was BOHO. Abhilash is also a dancer and one of Srijit’s students.

Although Lakshmi has made her mark as an Indian classical dancer, she is trained in jazz, ballet and flamenco, which she teaches in Kochi. A platform like BOHO was the opportunity she was looking for. “It came about when I was looking for other ways to learn to dance. If I hadn’t found them [Sreejith and Abhilash]I could have done something myself,” says Lakshmi, laughing. Earlier this year, in February, Lakshmi’s Matri Art Foundation had hosted a dance festival which showcased various dance styles including Indian classical.

Srijit had been thinking about a BOHO-like community for many years. An experienced choreographer, he talks about providing opportunities to young dancers that he did not get when he was young and starting his journey in dance.

“Space, time and opportunity were things that I did not get, but I wanted to change that. I want the youth and those interested to get the exposure and opportunities that I did not get in the 1980-90s,” says Sreejith, best known for his recent choreography for Malayalam films. moonwalkThis was something that always came up in his conversations with fellow artistes – dancers and choreographers, Abhilash was one such person,

Jag Illa | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“I started thinking differently about dance. And that thought process made me think about conceptual choreography when it comes to contemporary dance. That is, our choreography and practice should be such that we talk about contemporary issues through dance. For example, give it the quality of a theater production, of physical theatre,” says Sreejith, who is also known as Sreejith Dazzler and has created a choreography in Attakalari, Bengaluru. Have taken training in. He has a dance studio named Dazzlers in Kochi.

BOHO becomes a reality after Covid; Its work also includes organizing workshops and seminars in addition to stage productions. “This is a space for artists: writers, choreographers, art directors, actors… you name it. This is a space created for them,” says Abhilash. He adds, earlier learning contemporary dance meant traveling to Bengaluru, Goa or Mumbai. BOHO has been able to bring choreographers to Kochi, giving dancers in the state access to some of the best in the field.

C-Tactile | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

As of now they do not have any physical space and BOHO is being ‘hosted’ by AAL Studios in Valanjambalam. It is a dream they hope to realize but as a residency for up-and-coming artists. So far it has facilitated around 60 contemporary dance workshops with choreographers from India and abroad.

Although BOHO has not hosted a festival before, it has presented two productions: Transcendence, Lakshmi’s first with the community, staged in 2022, and AR Rahman’s ‘The Hope Song’. Adujivitham Promotion in 2024.

MFOK is their first such endeavor on this scale, with which they hope to introduce audiences to contemporary dance as a serious practice like any other classical dance form.

Drawing an analogy with classical dance forms, Sreejith says, “For example, take Kathakali. One’s learning and familiarity with it increases one’s appreciation… It is similar to contemporary dance. And that experience is gained by watching the performance. We are trying to create awareness or educate about it.”

Pinnal Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“It’s not just the performance aspect,” says Abhilash, “We want a change in the perception of dance where the audience plays a more active or interactive role.” Elsewhere at dance performances he talks about the audience questioning the dancers, who want to know more about the dancer’s performance or the thought process behind it, “As dancers we cannot perform in a vacuum, the audience’s reaction forces the dancer to think, find relevant answers…”

He has experimented with presenting the choreography in different ways during workshops and subsequent performances. One of them was to take the artists into the audience, so they could be a part of the show. He also made the artists sit in the audience. It’s early days, but he’s optimistic.

The trio speaks of a serious approach towards the genre, unlike contemporary dance performed to Bollywood music. “It’s probably the influence of reality shows and television, which is inevitable these days. We want the dance to be thought-provoking,” says Srijit. “There’s more to contemporary dance than moves…”

Lakshmi adds, “There are different styles. Research, understanding of the culture and background is important. It adds to the experience!”

Kerala’s Movement Festival from November 27 to 30 at Fine Arts Hall and Jetpack; Tickets on indiaeve.com

published – November 25, 2025 04:29 PM IST