Home / Arts and Entertainment / 8-Bit Games Inspire Classical Indian Dance
8-Bit Games Inspire Classical Indian Dance
1 Sep
Summary
- Classical Indian dancers fuse 8-bit video games with Bharatanatyam.
- Project funded with £10,000 grant for semi-improvised shows.
- Explores gamified improvisation inspired by Ms. Pac-Man's maze challenges.
Classical Indian dance is set to embrace the digital nostalgia of 1980s video games. Three London-based performers, Kavya Iyer, Devaki Rajendran, and Sneha Semaleesan, are developing a unique project that fuses Bharatanatyam with the aesthetics of early video games.
Funded by a £10,000 Kala Sangam Commission from Bradford Arts Centre, the trio is creating semi-improvised dance routines. Their inspiration stems from exploring the concept of gamifying improvisation, a theme sparked by the iconic Ms. Pac-Man game. The dancers find parallels between navigating game mazes and the unpredictable nature of live performance.
The project aims for a premiere performance at Bradford Arts Centre in 2028. Iyer notes that the spontaneity of games like Snake and Super Mario mirrors their desire for improvisation, making each performance a unique, live game. The performers also consider the social commentary embedded in Ms. Pac-Man, questioning if its difficulty reflects a woman's experience navigating the world.
