Narasimha – ManLion
a mythological queering of an eighth century poem through experimental Indian dance.
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Temperance Hall gives license to thrill in this year’s Melbourne Fringe. A queerordinary solo by choreographer, Raina Peterson offers a fierce commentary on gender through hyper - queer myth making. Yes please.
Phillip Adams, Artistic Director Temperance Hall
Commissioned by Melbourne Fringe’s Radical Access Program in partnership with Arts Access Victoria, Raina Peterson presents Narasimha - ManLion.
Drawing inspiration from the Tamil Poet-Saint Andal’s devotional poem which explores Narasimha: the fierce Hindu deity associated with the liminal and the in-between. Combining blood and honey, flowers and entrails, Peterson draws on their training in classical Indian dance (mohiniyattam) to create a work which oscillates between the violence of Narasimha’s imagery and the sensuality of Andal’s poetry.
Narasimha – ManLion is part one of a triptych queering classical Indian dance from the perspective of a transgender Hindu a trans lens.
Composition: Marco Cher-Gibard
PERFORMANCE DATES
Wednesday 19 October, 7.30pm
Thursday 20 October, 7.30pm, audio described and relaxed performance
Friday 21 October, 7.30pm
Saturday 22 October, 7.30pm
LOCATION
Temperance Hall
199 Napier Street, South Melbourne
DURATION
50 mins, no interval
ACCESSIBILITY
Wheelchair accessible. Thursday 20 Oct will be a Relaxed and Audio Described Performance.
Audience members will be provided with a printed copy of the Narasimha – ManLion poem, this will also be available digitally as a document and audio file.
TICKETS
Full $25
Conc. $20
Mobtix: $10
Want more check out more independent dance? See two X double bills in one night for only $30! At 7pm, Double Bill #1 includes Arabella Frahn-Starkie’s ‘Ken Burns’ and Siobhan McKenna’s ‘Just a Hint’. Double Bill #2 includes Gabriella Imrichova's ’no destination’ and Kady Mansour & Michaela Tancheff's ‘Two Women Enter the Toilet Cubicle’. Click here for more info!
Please book on the link below or call the Melbourne Fringe Box Office on 03 9660 9666 or have a look at the website for more information: melbournefringe.com.au
Contact: program[at]temperancehall.com.au for more information.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
RAINA PETERSON
Raina Peterson is a dancer and choreographer of Fiji-Indian and English heritage who was born and raised on the lands of the Gunaikurnai people.
Raina creates moving experimental dance works that respect and challenge both traditional and contemporary dance. With a substantial body of new work including five company productions, Raina‘s work draws on their training in mohiniyattam, a classical form of Indian dance from the state of Kerala, and is critically acclaimed for their subversive and visceral approach to exploring the diasporic experience, cultural identity, colonialism, gender diversity and sexuality.
Their full-length works with dance partner Govind Pillai includes ‘In Plain Sanskrit’ (2015, FCAC), ‘Bent Bollywood’ (2018, Midsumma Festival, shortlisted for a National Dance Award), ‘Third Nature’ (2019, Arts House), ‘Kāla’ (2019, Due West Festival) and award - winning dance film ‘Drishti’ (2020, winner of two Fringe Awards: ‘Best dance and physical theatre’ and ‘Innovation in culturally diverse practice).
They are currently working on a solo dance triptych engaging in a queering of classical Indian dance from their perspective as a transgender Hindu, the first two being ‘Narasimha - ManLion’ and ‘Mohini’ (upcoming March 2023, Arts House).
Image credits:
Top: Raina Peterson, photo by Alexis Desaulniers-Lea
Temperance Hall's Melbourne Fringe Festival program has been generously supported by our wonderful patrons and Creative Victoria, The Australian Government RISE Fund, The City of Port Phillip, Working Heritage and Yal Yal Estate.
Temperance Hall acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land in which we dance and create, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, and pay our respect to Elders both past and present and, through them, to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This is a COVIDSafe event that has been registered with the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions (DJPR). To view the safety checklist for The temperance Hall Fringe Program please click on the button below: