Creating harmony out of chaos

Music holds everything together and seems to make things more simplier, said renowned American singer and lyricist Tyler Joseph.

That perhaps was the philosophy behind the ‘Fold to Unfold 2015 – Illusion Chaotic Harmony’ which brought together Indian musicians with artistes from Japan and Wales on a single stage to perform contemporary dance.

The event, organised by the Japan Foundation, New Delhi, took place on November 24 at the Sri Ram Centre. The auditorium was packed with audience which highly appreciated the performance. 

The unique combination of artists from Japan, India, and Wales brought their indigenous style and beliefs in their performances. 

It was a 60 minute performance which included origami art, dance, music and light design. Exploring curious facts of life with different artistic mediums, where all  the planned  notions seems to be merged with unexpected harmony.

The event was lead by Yuko Harada who had her dance education in Japan but later moved to the United Kingdom. She was joined by dancer Kenta Shibasaki and choreographer Phil Williams. 

The Indian artistes are musician and dancer Ragini Bhajanka, multi-percussionist and composer Suchet Malnotra, singer-composer Suhail Yusuf Khan, dancer Rachnika Goyal, light design expert Gyandev Singh, and origami artist Himanshu Kohli. 

According to Yuko Harada, “Life itself is a piece of paper. We all go on folding and bending our lives with specific goals in mind, yet we never know what exactly is going to happen when we unfold ourselves. Art is a great example. Creation is always vital and unpredictable and challenging. The process is constantly dealing with illusion and reality, and dichotomy of chaotic harmony. In the end, it may not be what we were planning, but nonetheless it is a form. Life is always transformed”.

Yuko studied dance from 1998 at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance and started her professional career by joining the Stadttheater in Germany.

Kenta worked as a dancer at Staadt theather Darmstadt in Germany from 2005 to 2008 and is now working as a choreographer and dancer in Japan. Phil is an international choreographer and artistic director of Casacade Dance Theatre who trained at London Contemporary Dance School. 

Ragini is trained in Jazz, contemporary, classical ballet, modern and Funk Jazz and has veen dancing since 1998 and currently working with The Danceworx. Suchet is a multi-percussionist, composer and producer. He plays a diverse range of instruments from around the world including the tabla, darbouka, djembe, didgeridoo and more and performs as a soloist. Suhail is a multifaceted music composer, singer and song writer and a devoted Sarangi player. 

Rachnika is an independent dance maker, dancer and teacher who trained in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance. 

Gyandev, a graduate from National School of Drama, is skilled in Stage Lighting Design and is a winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.  

Himanshu is a young origami artist who has been folding paper since his childhood and his complex works have been featured on the cover of Fortune magazine and exhibited in India and abroad.