{
  "id": 5885258,
  "title": "Bridging Kathak and grief, borne by children in war zones, with the music of SOI",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/bridging-kathak-and-grief-borne-by-children-in-war-zones-with-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T19:30:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bridging-kathak-and-grief-borne-by-children-in-war-zones-with-the-music-of-soi-101788636646743.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: Can grief be expressed through dance? Can an orchestra convey the absence of life? Kathak master and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas is exploring both questions in her collaborative work with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI). Their joint presentation, titled \"The Absence of PRESENCE (TAOP),\" aims to bridge Kathak and contemporary dance with the music and visuals of SOI. Commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the performance will take place in Mumbai next month.\n\nMangaldas, trained by Kumudini Lakhia and Pandit Birju Maharaj, maintains her deep connection to Kathak while exploring its boundaries. She is not comfortable being categorized as a \"fusion\" artist, emphasizing that the emotions at the core of \"TAOP\" are universal. The music for the production, composed by British multi-disciplinary artist Rushil Ranjan, creates a musical framework where Western classical traditions and Kathak can coexist without losing their individual identities.\n\nBased on the concept of \"absence,\" \"TAOP\" explores the heart-wrenching reality faced by children in war zones and other conflict areas. Through dance, poetry, sculpture, and light, the production seeks to convey the grief that echoes across the world, while also highlighting the resilience and hope that still exists in the hearts of these young victims. The work raises the uncomfortable question of making art about suffering while remaining in the relative safety of a concert hall.\n\nThe project's significance lies in its collaboration between an Indian classical dancer and a professional symphony orchestra, marking a first for SOI. NCPA chairman Khushroo N Suntook, commenting on the project's importance, notes that while SOI has a history of working with Indian classical musicians, this is a groundbreaking collaboration with an Indian classical dancer.\n\nAlongside the performance, a voice-over artist will recite protest poetry by Delhi-based poet Sudeep Sen and Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer. Sen, whose work responds to the landscape around him, finds relevance in the project's exploration of man-made devastation. The production features musicians Faraz Ahmed and Ashish Gangani, sculptor Manish Kansara, and the poetry of Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, creating a landscape of sound, movement, poetry, and image. The result aims to move beyond the conventional dance performance, becoming a visceral exploration of the impact of conflict on children's lives.",
  "summary": "The collaborative presentation – ‘The Absence of PRESENCE (TAOP)’ – with Mangaldas and the SOI, and commissioned by NCPA, will be staged in the city next month",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}