Simon Thacker is a renowned musician, whose collaborative works with artists across the world are well known. His most recent production Tandava will be a premiered in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase. Also, in Tandava, Simon is collaborating with Bangalore’s Piah Dance Company, thus, representing both Scotland and Indian art forms at the Festival.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023
Every year in August, one of the ‘greatest celebrations of arts and culture’ takes place in Edinburgh. Known as the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this year, 2023 will be no different. It will be held from 4th – 28th August, 2023 and will showcase artists from more than 70 countries.
Made in Scotland is a ‘curated showcase’ of performances from Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund. It is also a partnership between Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Federation of Scottish Theatre, Scottish Music Centre and Creative Scotland.
Tandava at the Festival
Tandava is one of the events that will be premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023. Below are the event details for the same:
Date: 18th – 20th August & 22nd -26th August 2023. (Though the event will not take place on 21st August)
Time & Duration: Tandava will be showcased from 20:25 hours onwards. It is a 50 minutes show.
Venue: theSpace@ Niddry St – Upper Theatre (Venue No. 9), Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1TH.
Cost of tickets: Pounds 12 (Pounds 10), Pounds 36 for family (2 adults, 2 children)
About Tandava
Simon Thacker and Piah Dance Company are collaborating for the second time in Tandava. Their first collaboration was Mann Vasanai in 2019. In Tandava, the three dancers who are a part of the production are Priya Varunesh Kumar from Ahmedabad, Meghana Balaji and Sangeetha Jayaram from Bangalore.
Tandava is a Sanskrit word, that means a cosmic dance. The cosmic dance which is also the source of the cycle of the universe and life. Tandava, is thus the coming together of opposites. It is the dance that signifies, creation, preservation and destruction or dissolution. Similarly, the production Tandava, created by Simon Thacker and three dancers from the Piah Dance Company is the unification of the diverse and opposites. There is emotion, vibrancy and rhythm in the dance performance that matches its steps to the magical guitar renditions by Simon Thacker. The melody intertwines with the intricate footwork and delicate fluttering of hands. There is a beat and momentum in the music that refuses to die down accompanied by the sublime, seamless and elegant dance moves.
The music and choreography are both emotionally charged and distinctly captivating. Tandava is for those who enjoy the finer nuances of rhythm and beats. It is also for those who understand the precision and artistic brilliance of instrumental music intertwined with Classical dancing. Hence, it is an inter-cultural extravaganza that music lovers all over the world will both relate to and appreciate.
About Simon Thacker
Simon Thacker is a composer, improviser, guitarist, ensemble leader. Essentially, he is one the finest musicians of this generation. However, his genius is not only witnessed in his mesmerizing and soulful music. But it is also in his ability to mold and collaborate with an ensemble of equally talented artists across the globe, to create a rendition and performance that is both unique, as well as, rooted in cultural heritage. He has collaborated with various musical genres, including Carnatic, Sufi, Hindustani, Bengali Baul, Scots, Flamenco and Romany.
Simon has recently won the Scottish New Music Award and was also an Ivor Novello nominee. This is his fifth year that he has been selected for the Made in Scotland showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
About Piah Dance Company
Piah Dance Company is a contemporary dance group from India formed in 2011. It creates performances and choreographies that incorporate a ‘Traditional India with a Modern Twist’. It also has an online community and strong presence. Piah’s YouTube channel has over 60,000 subscribers and more than 21 million views.
The three dancers and artists collaborating with Simon Thacker in Tandava, are trained Bharatnatyam dancers who also have a deep love for Rajasthani and Gujarati folk dances.
For more details about the festival, Simon Thacker and Piah Dance Company you can check out the following links.
https://www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com/
www.simonthacker.com
https://piahdancecompany.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/PiahDanceCompany
