What Is Planted Seeds?

Follow the links to frequently asked questions about this show

What were the initial inspirations?
What kind of show is it?
What will the music be like?
What kind of dance will it be?
What will the set and costumes be like?

Follow the link to an in-depth interview with Darshan about the development of Planted Seeds:
http://www.article19.co.uk/interview-darshanbhuller.php

Darshan is a keen follower of current affairs and like many of his works, the inspiration for Planted Seeds came from watching the news. The reports on the Yugoslavian conflict were intrinsically shocking but they had a further impact, as he felt a personal connection. The stories of neighbours killing neighbours seemed close to his grandparents’ experiences during the partition of the Punjab (when India and Pakistan achieved independence from Great Britain). Having grown up in a multi-cultural area of Leeds, it also made him question whether a similar thing could happen closer to home. In addition, Darshan had performed in Dubrovnik in 1980; the theatre was one of the buildings destroyed by the bombing of the old town.
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What kind of show is it?

Darshan is known for creating dance pieces that have a strong theatrical character. He often tells a story through dance, bringing elements of different artforms such as film and drama into his work. Like a film-maker, Darshan will often use a storyboard to develop the full narrative before he enters the studio and choreographs the dance steps. Planted Seeds is perhaps the ultimate expression of this style of dance; the combination of affecting storyline and breathtaking dance caused a storm with critics and audiences when it was last performed in 1998/1999.
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What will the music be like?

Darshan’s choice of music and the way he punctuates scene changes with contrasting musical styles point to his love of cinema. In fact, substantial elements of the score originally featured in the Yugoslavian film, Underground. Goran Bregovic’s music draws on Slavic folk and gypsy tunes, which impart a strong sense of location and cultural identity.
The selection of music was also influenced by Darshan’s visit to Sarajevo. The U2 tracks were included, as they’d played a concert in the previous week, which was attended by young Sarajevans from all ethnic backgrounds.
Planted Seeds also features classical music by the Polish composer Gorecki. This music has a plaintive quality, which enhances the emotional impact of the dance. Gorecki wrote the music as a tribute to the survivors of Auschwitz, giving it a symbolic link to the Yugoslavian conflict.
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What kind of dance will it be?

The autumn tour features one, full-length piece, rather than a mixed bill but audiences can still expect the Phoenix trademark diversity of styles.
Planted Seeds is set in the former Yugoslavia, a nation founded on a myriad of cultural influences from Orthodox and Catholic Christian Europe and Islamic Turkey. Goran Bregovic’s ‘gypsy’ music influenced Darshan to create scenes of athletic, ensemble dancing with a strong Slavic feel. This was not a conscious decision, the music dictated the movement, which still has a strong contemporary base.
Darshan’s personal choreographic style is rooted in the Graham Technique – a dance style that lends itself to highly charged, emotional scenes. The lovers’ duets communicate the tenderness and sexual attraction they feel and give us a sense of their hope for the future. Following intimations of abuse, the women dance together in close partnerships, sharing and passing their weight in slow, fluid lifts to indicate their need to support each other.
Planted Seeds also includes aerial work – where the dancer is suspended from a rope. This dramatically portrays the abused women’s despair.
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What will the set and costumes be like?

Planted Seeds uses a simple set and props, which are used, in combination with lighting, to indicate a number of locations. In designing the costumes, Darshan was keen they should not look contrived, hence the dancers perform in everyday dress, rather than ‘costumes’. In his research, Darshan found that Serbs, Croats and Muslims could not easily be identified by their appearance; this is also reflected in the use of costume.
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