Project Description
ApsaraMundus is a mobile project that connects artists worldwide through Indian Classical Dance. The main members include Parvathi Muthuswamy and Anagha Pandiat from India, Irena 'Mohini' Mihalkovich from Belarus, and Simin Shakeri from Iran, with Simin serving as the producer. They collaborate with various guest artists and musicians.
The group's performances have taken place in numerous countries and settings, from traditional venues to unconventional spaces like streets, warehouses, and parks. They aim to expand into museums and other venues. ApsaraMundus explores interactive elements in their dance, making it accessible to the public. They also incorporate filmmaking and installations to broaden their reach.
This project operates without a fixed headquarters, with all core members frequently traveling. Their nomadic lifestyle leads them to meet various artists worldwide. Each place they visit offers unique opportunities for expression and experimentation.
Our Aim
We delve into mudras, exploring them thoroughly, while also experimenting with narratives that include both conventional and unconventional stories and songs. We actively invite the audience to participate in the storytelling process.
Indian classical dance serves as a rich storytelling tool, interpreting epics, mythological tales, and more through intricate body poetry and hand gestures called mudras. Facial expressions amplify the emotional depth of the stories. Traditionally, performances follow a top-down structure. However, our project disrupts this by taking dance to the streets. We foster collaboration by uniting artists from diverse backgrounds on stage.
We aim to infuse the arts with playfulness while staying true to the essence of classical dance. Our goal is to make it fun, accessible, and engaging for all, transcending geographical boundaries.
Storytelling is central to our approach, incorporating diverse symbols to convey words and phrases creatively. Our vocabulary is rich and boundless, featuring expressions like "lips red like pomegranate" and "teeth white like the moon," bringing vivid imagery to our narratives.