Astad Deboo performs Bulleh Shah's 'Maati'

Hazrat Bulleh Shah's poem 'Maati' became an inspiration for Astad Deboo, as he danced to the tunes of Japanese musician Yukio Tsuji, exploring the dichotomy of the ephemeral and the eternal worlds.

Deboo, who performed last evening at the first edition of the Natya Ballet Dance Festival here, is best known for his profound choreography, complemented with technical virtuosity.

Titled 'Eternal Embrace', the piece that the dancer performed yesterday was commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and premiered in New York last year.

The artiste was asked to create a piece that combined "an element of Islam and live music". However, he did not want to perform any of the poems of 13th century sufi mystic Rumi.
 

"One has read poems of Rumi but I asked some of my think-tank what else we can do. And one them sent me poems of Bulleh Shah from which I chose 'Maati'," he said.

With a unique mix of classical and contemporary dance forms, Deboo is known to create a language of his own in his performances.

"In my journey there have always been surprises and this is no exception either. As I began my journey as a solo performer way back in 1969, I left the shores of India in search of a language which I could inculcate into my body to create a style which is distinct," he said.

However, performing solo soon began "restricting" him, and he eventually began foraying into other performing art disciplines and has collaborated with several foreign artistes including Pina Bausch, Alison Becker Chase and Pink Floyd since then.

The 69-year-old performer, who is also known for working with deaf and street children, began learning Kathak at the age of six and went on to attend the London School of Contemporary Dance where he learnt Martha Graham's modern dance technique.

"After working with eight Bharatnatyam dancers from the Clarke School of Deaf(USA), it was an extremely different experience. Music was somewhere within their bodies. I was able to create a 60 min solo performance," the Padma Shri awardee said.