Dance & Physical Theatre

Temple of Desire

A celebration of spirituality and sensuality, through the beauty of classical Indian dance.

$39.00 - $59.00
Sessions & Tickets
A group of classical Indian dancers adorned with jewels on their bodies and hair, cluster around an elevated dancer who has their hands above their head crossed at the wrist.
A classical Indian dancer is shirtless and adorned in a large necklace and single earring. They stand under a pink wash light. Arms and hands appear from people behind and wrap around them, covering their eyes.
A group of classical Indian dancers adorned with jewels on their bodies and hair, stand facing the camera but looking to the sky. They are performing a dance and are all posed with their arms raised and intricate hand gestures. The lighting is dramatic, with blue and purple spotlights on the dancers and a smokey background.

Image Credit: James Henry

A group of classical Indian dancers adorned with jewels on their bodies and hair, cluster around an elevated dancer who has their hands above their head crossed at the wrist.
A classical Indian dancer is shirtless and adorned in a large necklace and single earring. They stand under a pink wash light. Arms and hands appear from people behind and wrap around them, covering their eyes.
A group of classical Indian dancers adorned with jewels on their bodies and hair, stand facing the camera but looking to the sky. They are performing a dance and are all posed with their arms raised and intricate hand gestures. The lighting is dramatic, with blue and purple spotlights on the dancers and a smokey background.

  • Directed by: Govind Pillai

  • Performed by: Sahithi Chintakunta, Neptune Henriksen, Veena Kadayaprath, Jaya Karan, Govind Pillai, Divya Raghavan, Ramya Raghavan, Saranya Saravanan, Sangeeta Sathyanath, Davina Shaji, Ambika Arjuna, Divya Shreejit Kumar, Aparna Subramaniam, Archana Subramaniam, Sindusa Wignarajan, Arulselvam Subramaniam

  • Presented by: Melbourne Fringe and Karma Dance

Enter the Temple of Desire, an imaginary sanctum where mystery and intrigue allure us to indulge in the spiritual and the sensual all at once!

In this visually stunning dance-theatre work, 16 dancers draw from their training in the classical Indian dance form of Bharatanātyam to rediscover a pre-colonial world where the divine and the sensual unite with splendour and power. A celebratory world where pleasure and joy (കാമ / kāma) are not maligned but are pathways to liberation (മോക്ഷ / mōksha).

Anchored in a moving acknowledgement of culture, tradition, colonial loss, and gendered oppression, Temple of Desire is an uplifting journey that embraces alternative histories and liberatory futures. Teeming with tradition, yet subversive and unbound, this captivating journey leads us to a place of profound beauty, euphoria, joy and human understanding.

Directed by Govind Pillai, Temple of Desire is Karma Dance’s new full-length ensemble work, following a decade of acclaimed and award-winning duet and solo works by both Govind Pillai and Raina Peterson: Sūtra (2011), In Plain Sanskrit (2015), Bent Bollywood (2018), Third Nature, Kāla (2019), Narasimha (2022), and Mohini (2023).

Stick around (or come again!) on closing night where the final performance rolls into ‘Temple of Desire: The Party!’. DJ Goddess Naavikaran will spin the decks into the night playing epic and unprecedented remixes of pop, carnatic and Bollywood faves with deconstructed club music. Revel together with Temple of Desire artists and audiences in one final uplifting celebration of our histories, futures, dreams and desires. A collective liberation.

Past reviews:

“Stunned by the breathtaking performance. Truly mesmerising” - The Age

“The...beauty and strength of the classical Indian dance lexicon” - Dance Informa

“Graceful, elegant” - The Conversation

“Symbolic, powerful... Relevant and courageous” – Indian Sun

“Fantastic celebration of bodies, histories, human emotions” – Peril Magazine

This project received Cash to Create through the Fringe Fund.

About Karma Dance

Karma Dance Inc. is one of Australia’s most critically acclaimed classical and contemporary Indian dance companies. With a track-record of sell-out productions, media appearances, grants and festival presentations both locally and internationally, Karma Dance Inc. has appeared at venues and events such as the Sydney Opera House, The Arts Centre (Melbourne), Arts House (North Melbourne), Woodford Folk Festival (QLD), Encounters Festival (Brisbane), Rajasthan International Folk Festival (India), Melaka Arts & Performance Festival (Malaysia) and toured productions to Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Jodhpur, Hobart and Byron Bay. We are a not-for-profit with the purpose of furthering south asian, queer and trans(gender) supportive art. Click here for Karma Dance in the Media over the past 15+ years: http://media.karmadance.org/

karmadance.org

  • Duration: 45 minutes

  • Event Accessibility: Deaf or Hard of Hearing Rating: Partially Accessible, English no barrier

  • Age suitability: PG

  • Event warnings: Haze Effects, Some Nudity.

  • Full: $59.00

  • Concession: $49.00

  • Group 6+: $50.00

  • Extra Applause: $100.00

  • Party Ticket: $39.00

Sessions: In Person Events

A single $5.50 transaction fee applies to your booking.

Date Time Venue

Friday, 04 October 2024

7:30pm

Malthouse - Beckett Theatre

 Get Tickets

Saturday, 05 October 2024

2:00pm

Malthouse - Beckett Theatre

 Get Tickets

Saturday, 05 October 2024

7:30pm

Malthouse - Beckett Theatre

 Get Tickets

Saturday, 05 October 2024

8:15pm

Malthouse - Beckett Theatre

 Get Tickets

Note: Party Entry Only

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