Events

Dancer, storyteller and activist Mallika Sarabhai is one of the most vital figures in Indian dance today.

As director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts – established by her mother Mrinalini in 1949 – she has helped shape the dance vocabulary of countless students while also maintaining a rich and dynamic practice of her own.

With SVA Kranti: The Revolution Within, Sarabhai employs multimedia, theatre, music and dance to conjure an imagined conversation with Mahatma Gandhi through the prism of a 21st century woman. The work explores the lives of women who have struggled non-violently with truth, and challenges the relevance of Gandhi’s teachings to the contemporary female experience.

Fiery, irreverent and provocative, Sarabhai dances with an urgency that will not be denied. Following the performance, an artist talk sees this social justice crusader and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize join artist-curator Nithya Nagarajan for a discussion about her unique brand of ‘artivism’, her dance practice and her politics.

WHEN: Friday 28 and Saturday 29 February, 7pm
(60 min performance followed by 30 min talk)
VENUE: FCAC Performance Space
COST: Full $30 / Concession $20

Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sidney Myer Fund and is supported by the Australian and Victorian governments.