Prepare to enter the captivating world of Muhandis, where Bangladeshi-Canadian choreographer Tanveer Alam brings to life a mesmerizing fusion of movement and architecture.
Toronto-based Tanveer Alam began his Kathak training with Sudeshna Maulik and deepened his studies under guru Sandhya Desai. A 2019 graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Alam has performed with esteemed artists including Rina Singha, Lata Pada, and Peter Chin. His choreographic work has been showcased at notable venues such as SummerWorks Festival, Battery Dance Festival +, MAI, CanAsian Dance Festival, and Tangente. Active in the dance community, Alam serves as an Alliance Lead at The South Asian Dance Alliance of Canada, has been a guest curator at Dancemakers, and is an Artistic Associate with TOES FOR DANCE. Most recently, in the 2022-2023 season, he premiered The Tagore Project, In Multiplicity, and Haazri, with his first full-length solo, Leher, debuting in June 2023.
In Muhandis, the principles of geometry are interwoven with the grace of Kathak, a classical Indian dance form known for its rhythmic storytelling. The title, Muhandis (meaning “architect” in Arabic), beautifully encapsulates the connection between the careful design of architectural spaces and the fluid motion of the human body.
Inspired by the intricate patterns of jaali windows in Islamic architecture, where light filters through delicate, geometric shapes, Alam explores the mathematical beauty of symmetry and asymmetry. Reflecting on his experience with jaalis, Alam explains that came up with the concept while admiring the beautiful courtyard at the Aga Khan Museum two years ago. “The side walls have these perforated designs similar to jaalis,” he shares. “When light passes through, it beams onto the ground. I was sitting there during lunch, and I thought, ‘It would be stunning to create a piece here one day’. That sparked my interest in jaalis specifically.” In Muhandis, Alam creates a visual experience that mimics the precision we see within Indo-Islamic architectural designs.
Alam has assembled an ensemble of four highly skilled Kathak dancers to perform Mohandis. Raghav Monga, Sukriti Sharma, Anjali Tanna, and Priyanka Tope each navigate the concept of “organized chaos” as they bring structure and spontaneity into harmony. During my talk with Alam, he explained that he “explored the concept of Arabesques, that are intertwining vine-like shapes, often nearly symmetrical but can have slight variations. I considered how these shapes could relate to Kathak movements.” The dancers’ movements in this choreography will demonstrate geometric shapes, mimic spirals, and weave patterns that reveal an interconnection between human motion and architectural form.
The performance is accompanied by a custom score from Delhi-based composer Pavithra Chari, with the music crafted to complement the dancers’ movements, and not the other way around. Alam worked on most of the choreography before the music was created with only the use of a metronome and basic beats to ensure the choreography stood independently. By focusing on rhythm and instrumentation, the score enhances his choreography and the performance while allowing the architecture of the dance to remain at the forefront.
When asked about dancers as architects of space, Alam talks about the concept of a strong foundation in architecture, which is also quality essential to dancers, requiring them to understand how to align their spines and stay firmly rooted to the ground. Muhandis explores Indo-Islamic geometrical and architectural principles, which Alam describes as involving concepts like overlap, rotation, and tessellation using different shapes within the Kathak form. “We look at how three simple shapes can evoke those concepts in various ways.”
As an audience watching Muhandis, be prepared to redefine how you perceive your body and the space around you. Alam’s work promises to challenge our understanding, drawing us into a world where geometry, rhythm, and expression converge. Ultimately, Muhandis is a celebration of dance as both art and architecture, a journey that invites us to rethink how we interact and experience the spaces around us.
Muhandis is half of the Process+Practice Double Bill, which marks the culmination of Alam’s two-year residency as the inaugural cohort of the Process+Practice Dance Residency. Presented by the City of Toronto in partnership with TOES FOR DANCE and supported by ĀNANDAṀ, this residency has given Alam the opportunity to explore and refine his choreographic voice.
The Process+Practice Double Bill also features running from and towards, western contemporary dance choreographed by Rakeem Hardy. The program will be presented at Assembly Hall for three performances only: November 7 at 8:00pm, November 8 at 8:00pm, and November 9 at 2:00pm. Reserve tickets through Eventbrite.
© Yamini Menon, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
