In Urban Kali, Rakini Devi subverts contemporary cultural stereotypes of female identity, transforming the goddess Kali’s iconography to create a  mythic, contemporary female identity. By embodying both Indian and  Western aesthetics through a ‘hybridised’ persona, Urban Kali is a site for  artistic dialogue through which Devi explores the sensory dimensions of the  female form as ritual and artefact. Devi’s use of Kali iconography is also  a protest against female ‘shame’ prevalent in modern Indian society that  sanctions misogynist atrocities as ‘punishment’.

Urban Kali is Devi’s fourth dance production on the goddess Kali, spanning  25 years, and follows Kali Yuga that was presented in 2004 at Riverside.

Performance Dates & Times:
Friday 22 September at 8pm
Saturday 23 September at 8pm

Rakini Devi will also be facilitating a masterclass for professional and advanced dancers and dance makers. For more information click on the next tab from this page. Book here

*Please note this performance will contain partial nudity.

This research is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship

CREATOR AND PERFORMER RAKINI DEVI

MASTERCLASS This master class is for professional dancers from any dance background. Rakini’s cross cultural dance vocabulary, drawn from two forms of Indian classical dance that she is trained in, Bharatanaytam and Odissi, will be taught. Traditional or classical repertoire will not be taught. The master class will be divided into two sections: the first hour movement repertoire, warm up and small sequences will be taught. In the second hour, the repertoire will be extended with improvisation and expanding on gesture and footwork explored in the first hour. Please wear comfy clothing (no skirts or shorts please). Please confirm attendance by Friday 8th September. Dates & Times: Saturday 16 September Time: 11 am – 1pm Price: $30 Full price, $25 Concession Book here STUDIO SESSIONS Rakini invites independent dancers interested in her cross-cultural vocabulary into the studio during her Parramatta residency for warm-up sessions each day. Dates: Monday 28 to Friday 31 August, Monday 4 September to Friday 7 September Location: Studio 404 Church Street, Parramatta Expressions of interest contact Rakini Devi: rakinidevi22@gmail.com