An Explosion of Light
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
Flames brought two performances of fire and light spinning and juggling. Discoveries of Fire: Our Story begins with the discovery of fire by man. He starts to play with it, its power, and grows in courage as he makes use of it. Then steady fire, flameless, multicoloured, cold fire appears. It is the conversion to modernity, electricity, industrialism, growing uniformity. But something has been lost, the life that created that primeval fire… As cold fire, begins to flicker off, a new flame appears: it is the rediscovery of the innocent flame, the child’s soul within. The Fires are lit once more and brought to life.
And there was Light is a fable of evolution. Blending myth with science, tells a story of the Creation of our Universe: At first there was nothing perhaps or everything all in One. From that void, that vacancy a wish emerged, a desire to manifest, to play, an aching urge to create, and revel in the creation. The intent grew for the All desired to know itself in all its forms. An explosion of Light, of Life appeared; chaotic, warlike, too powerful and ravenous, it spun, it grew, it devoured and it fell. From the ashes of the first universe was born a second, ordered and precise, perfect as a crystal, cold as a diamond. It could not grow. From its coldness withered and it too perished.
From spacelessness and timelessness, a universe rose once more. This time combining Life and Law, in a single whole: Elements dance and stars are formed, sparkling across the empty sky. Planets gather around the brightness of a sun. Matter organises itself, Life grows, and Mind descends and begins to settle. The time of man has come. He thrives a while, and then… what next?
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Flames is a group of young fire spinners, jugglers and breathers from Auroville, Tamil Nadu. The ten teenage performers, write and choreograph all their performances since 2013. The group is mentored Aurevan, a child of Auroville, a growing storyteller. It is accompanied by a DJ, brimming with joy and laughter. Very different from eachother, the group is brought together and bound by the love of FIRE:
To begin to meet them, below are a few of their words:
– “I like working with fire because it makes me feel big and strong but at the same time it makes me feel free, open and happy.”
– “I started fire juggling four or five years back… It was at that time a sport for me, slowly we began growing as a group and put together a small performance, there was a new me I found that day. The experience was unique, for fire had become my friend, myself.”
– “Each time I light my stick and it slowly lights into a big flame, I feel accomplished. It is as if fire completes my being. It is a joy that one cannot get by simply staring at a candle, but it is when you control fire’s movements that it controls your heart. The warmth is not just physical, but it fills your body from the inside too. For that feeling of being a part of the flame, I would give anything for it.”
– “This long time of being with fire seems short. It has still not taught me all of its magic, but enough to be its disciple.”
– “Fire is a brush, you the hand, paint on the surface of the earth, all you need is your heart.”
email: aurevan@auroville.org.in
KNOW MORE
Fire is a vibrant form of light. It has been a great tool in building early society. But what exactly is fire?
Photo Credit : Mitwa A.V. , Tinka Kalajzic & Sachin Pillai