Shailini Vinod, a PhD student in Creative Writing and Sociology has been awarded the competitive (TDFS) Join Traditional Dance Residency.
After responding to an open call for submissions, Shailini partnered with her daughter, , to submit an entry that draws on their expertise in professional Indian classical dance, including Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, alongside folk-dance forms like Bhangra, Garba, Dandiya and Kollattam.
For their one-week residency at ’ Schoolhill Studio in Aberdeen, Shailini and Shashwati will develop a piece using Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam dance forms while exploring Indian Carnatic and Hindustani music with percussion instruments.
This will be followed by an interpretation of contemporary themes and stories via the rhythmic and grace elements of the two dance forms.
Shailini is currently a second-year SGSAH-AHRC funded PhD student whose thesis explores the experiences of Keralan NHS nurses via a sociological lens and the creation of a series of short stories.
Entitled, “That Shade of Brown”: A creative socio-literary exploration of the evolving concept of ‘Britishness’ and the mutual impact of migrant representations in literature and sociology, Shailini has drawn on her thesis to deliver talks at the University of Duisburg Essen, and will deliver a further talk at , in November.
Shashwati, an accomplished South Asian Classical dancer, will perform at this month’s WayWord Festival .
In addition, Shailini will be chairing the panel at the WayWord Festival, which focuses on the use of social media platforms for self-expression and identity performances.
In conversation with and , the panel is scheduled to take place online on September 21.
To book tickets to Shashwati Pattwakar Vinod’s pop-up dance performance, visit the ; to register for Shailini’s Performing Identities panel, click .