Suddalaiyadi
(A dancer on the ashes of cemeteries)
A collaborative dance project, India

Winner of best creative music & choreography award from the 26th international Fadjr theatre festival, Tehran, Iran 2008

 

 

Performers:

Komal Subhash Gujarathi
Manali Subhash Gujarathi
Mehdi Farajpour

Stage Manager:
Varesh Darvish 

Voice Designer:
Masoud Mardan 

Choreographer:
Mehdi Farajpour 

Traditional Dance:
Komal Gujarathi

Accessories:
Hengameh Sazesh

Graphic & Photos:
Maryam Majidi

Drector Assistant:
Sarallah Kianirad 

Camera:
Mehran Golmohammadi
Ali Judi 

Edit:
Masud Mardan 

Public relations:
Makan Kouchaki 

Special thanks to:
Neda & Nima - Hema Nyranjan Nohony - Rahim Khouchaki 

About the performance:

“SheriNataraja” the goddess of destruction will start his crazy dance at darkness (kali) ages in the cemeteries. Indeed, cemeteries are as a symbol of people`s heart. Shiva will destroy the world with his dance. With starting the dance his name will change to “Sudalaiyadi”. Sudalaiyadi means: A dancer on the ashes of cemeteries

About the production:

“Suddalaiyadi” is produced by “Oriantheatre” in 2002. Then it has started touring through India with Iranian performers (Mrs. Shima Zarefard, Mehran Golmohammadi & me). Now i would like to inform you that you are watching a new variation of the performance by Indian members of Oriantheatre. The group which is a freelance art group wills product new projects with other members of the group all around the world.
Regards

Manager of Oriantheatre: Mehdi Farajpour Jan/2008 Pune, India

Scription:

- Sudalaiyadi is a mental story of one second of a monk`s life who lives and works in a temple .he burns dead bodies at that temple and that is his job.
A night when he was burning a dead body, thought one of corpses does not burn, but it is dancing on the fire,…
“sudalaiyadi “in Indian mythological definition means: “A dancer who dances on the ashes of cemetery” and it is one of the SHIVA`s ( Indian goddess of dance and love ) names.
Whilst hearts of the people of the world were changed to be as a cemetery, he will start his dance in the hearts of people (cemeteries) and he will disturb the world with his dance.
Our performance`s monk was terrified of this and prefered to kill himself before.

About the dance:

- Tandava is one of the darknatuire dances of Shery Nataraga or Shiva, which is polished in kally ages in arder to ruin the world.
- In this dance performance, madly motions of shiva are symbols of love for liberty and that will be manifested in mystery of setting fire on the corpses of cemetry. 

Monologues:

_ It was night and I saw a dead body in the gloomy cemetery, which was running and dancing and continually killing himself, again and again. Dying and dancing, dancing and dying, dancing on the ashes of cemetery. His name`s “Suddalaiyadi”.
Finally rested on the ashes of himself and fire suppressed, but I did not find comfort, never. Because I had seen a dead body dancing with fire, in fire, likes fire. So, I will run till the end of the world. Escape…., escape…, escape…..

_Thou, who like cemetery!
I have built a cemetery from my heart. So, that thow, whose place is in the cemeteries, could perform thy eternal dance.
O, mother, there is nothing inside my heart except you.
The man of fire of dead melting days and nights, and the ashes of dead scattered all around.
I have resisted over unpleasant with the hope of you coming.
Shelter in my heart, and perform your rhythmical dance, so, that I can see you with eyes of my heart.

_ I burnt.
I burnt.
I burnt.
My hands, my eyes, my feet.
I danced, without feet and hands.
Burnt and danced, danced and burnt.
My dance was not a dance, it was a pain.
It was not a dance, it was fire and darkness.
I burnt.
I burnt…