One of the most pressing concerns of our age is to bridge the widening rift between Nature and Humanity. Art can be a potent tool for generating conversation, communicating ideas, and mobilising the public into action. It is for this reason that in[Chorus] – an ongoing series of musical meetings co-organised by Alliance Française de Delhi and Kalasetu – decided to present the project Dancing with the Tree. This collaboration united the French contemporary dancer Mathilde Vrignaud with the Hindustani musicians Soumitra Thakur and Mahavir Chandrawat.

(L to R) Mahavir Chandrawat, Mathilde Vrignaud, and Soumitra Thakur

in[Chorus] was initially launched in December 2016 with the goal of promoting traditional South Asian Performing Arts. The idea was to provide a platform to musicians from India and France to explore their craft together irrespective of how disparate their genres seemed. Keeping this inclusive tradition in mind, Mathilde weaved a unique performance piece with Soumitra on the Sitar, Mahavir on the Tabla, and Hém-Ish as sound artist. The resulting show was a nuanced journey through sounds, dance, and nature.

(L to R) Mahavir Chandrawat, Mathilde Vrignaud, and Soumitra Thakur