International Theatre Project, 2003

The 2003 International Theatre Project investigated the use of the three elements — space, body and text — within a theatrical context. Preeti Vasudevan, classical Indian dance expert and cultural scholar, led the workshop, which incorporated fundamental training from Indian theatre and classical dance (Bharatanatyam) with the Viewpoints technique of blocking and staging, which was taught by Barbara Dilley, performance artist currently teaching at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

During the workshop, students engaged in a variety of exercises, including:

• A daily warm-up using training techniques from Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance), Yoga and other body conditioning approaches.
• A movement class, focusing on Indian classical dance vocabulary including gestures of the hands and eyes, exploration of space involving the use of music to explore the new structures of body movement.
• The exploration of voice and text in space.
• The creation of a performance piece for public presentation based on techniques explored in the workshop.