Nova Bhattacharya’s Svāhā!

“In the hour that separates its rousingly cacophonous opening from its joyously freewheeling finale, choreographer Nova Bhattacharya’s new work “Svāhā!” takes audiences on an imaginative journey into the heart of dance as a transformative experience and a way of bringing people together.“

– Michael Crabb, Toronto Star

 “…a contemporary performance inspired by women, rituals of life and love, birth and death, and the way women come together to create community.”

– Aparita Bhandari, CBC

A shimmering, whirling ode to the rites and rituals of women, Nova Bhattacharya’s latest work Svāhā! celebrates the cathartic power of performance to unite people in laughter, beauty and shared joy.   

Inspired by women building community through acts of celebration, mourning and worship, Nova Dance uses the universal language of movement to gather people together in synchronous experience. 

In addition to a cast of more than 20 performers from almost 30 different dance traditions – everything from Bharatnatyam to Butoh, as well as ballet, jazz and salsa, Svāhā! features local artists in an opening invocation that accompanies the performances. From this experience of communion and solidarity comes a work brimming with life, colour, and revelry of every hue.

More than an exclamation made to proclaim an offering, Svāhā! is a shouted riposte to the loss, isolation, and social fracture of recent years and an expression of togetherness made tangible. Vibrating with life, love, and the profound pleasure of movement, it is a reminder of our shared existence and a return to wholeness and abundance.

Pre-show Talk 7:15 pm each night in the Vancouver Playhouse Upper Lobby
Moderator: Jai Govinda
Guest: Nova Bhattacharya

Show 8:00 PM