”An instant, a photo, a dance”
(inspired by Jahanguir Razmi's photographs)
The instant a victim says NO to their executioner is no doubt when man exposes his true nature, free in his essence. Ignorance, pettiness, compromise are among the thousands of innocent excuses which lead us away from the path of freedom. But it is in his ultimate and decisive choices that man, in all consciousness, reveals the inescapable truth of his own freedom. History shows many examples when one person became a hero in an instant of formidable freedom, such as this singular moment in the summer of 1979 in Iranian Kurdistan, immortalized in photography by the artist Jahanguir Razmi, A photo caught an instant and the Khorshid Khanoum troupe celebrates this eternal victory through dance.
B.B.Baff is a narrative dance piece based on an old Iranian fable, a fairytale about their greatest celebration; Norooz, the Iranian New Year (March 21st). In B.B.Baff, spring has yet to come and the New Year will not unfold until the Bakhtiari women weave the biggest and most beautiful carpet of all. This carpet will be unrolled under Spring's feet and brings hope to all. B.B.Baff portrays significant elements of the daily lives of the Bakhtiari people, from birth to death in any Celebration & Mourning, for Fear & Hope, Sadness & Happiness, Peace & War all are captured through the weaving of a carpet. The choreography of this dance is based on traditional Bakhtiari dances, dating back many centuries. In the production of B.B.Baff, in some pieces we have used authentic Bakhtiari moves, in others, movements have been adapted to the story but they still have the essence of the original dances and there are pieces in pure classical Iranian dance. The body language and movements of the Bakhtiari people have also been used.
Stone, ashes and hasrat focuses on how women's bodies have been targeted as a source of inspiration as well as a means to serve the most obnoxious desires in history. Under the pretext of respecting the morals, preserving the rituals and resuscitating the tradition; Iran, India and North Africa are three regions that still practice torture and mutilation of women's bodies. In Iran, stoning of women prisoners who are allegedly corrupt has entered into the legal codification of the state; likewise the genital mutilationof young girls in North Africa is considered as a societal ritual and Sati in India still is honored by some as a means of loyalty to the community and servitude to one's own tradition. These three different traditions have targeted woman's body as the manifestation of their own understanding of justice, loyalty and morality. Unfortunately, even in todays modern society and free worldthe degradation of women's bodies continues with different goals and more complicated manner(woman trafficking, cosmetic surgery,rigth for abortion). This project intends to portraythe commonality of torture amongthese three traditions: how the woman's body is degraded throughwhat is intended as glorification. Although, the subject of this dance (Violence against women's bodies) carried a strong social and political message, the choreography of this dance is based on three love stories, and the women are victims of love.
Of love, peace & joy - Love of other, of all, all the existing world! Love, agonizingly lost to the lost sole! Love, this precious internal gift, is what we exude through the harmonic movements of our body. Through love we come together, accept each other, become one with one another, and in Rumi's words ”one with the universe”. Love unbinds us from the confines of ”Me” and ”you”, ”us” and ”them”, and illuminates the path to salvation, peace and happiness. Love in this pure form is the foundation and the splendor of the humane and spiritual complexion of Rumi's poems; and we regard this genuine love as the source of our bodily movements in tune with the universe in all its magnificence and glory.
Maral's Tale: an adaptation of Kelaidar novel by Mohmood Dolatabadi (Iranian novelist)
All rights reserved, 2008 © Powered by Video Web Design