Premiere

This first iteration of Bangali Meye emerged from a desire to move beyond physicality and “dance” technique and toward sharing personal stories through movement and textiles (traditional Indian/Bengali clothing). It was rooted in risk and vulnerability—offering parts of myself that I had previously only shared with trusted loved ones—and was developed within Links Hall (Chicago, IL) where stories could be shared and heard.

The solo explored questions of identity shaped by being raised by Bengali parents while immersed in Western culture. Through three studies—Food, Language, and Dance— the work investigated eating with my hands as an embodied and emotional experience, the loss and desire to reconnect with my first language (Bangla), and the tension, contrast and similarities between Western dance training and dance experiences within the Indian community. This iteration functioned as a series of movement and spoken studies that reflected my ongoing process of holding and navigating multiple cultural realities.

This work was developed, produced, and presented through Links Hall’s Co-Mission Residency Program.

with live sound by Scott Rubin

The second iteration honed in on my relationship to movement. Growing up, I identified strongly as a ballet dancer, and this often clashed with my Bengali identity. Loving ballet felt at times like it was pulling me away from being Bengali, as I rarely saw Bengali ballet dancers and felt increasingly odd inhabiting both worlds. While all movement came from my singular body, I accessed different versions of myself—the Bengali body at home and the American body trained in ballet. I explored the pull between these states of being and the fear of losing cultural memory, asking how one holds on to and honors traditions that feel as though they are slipping away.

This iteration included a collaboration with musician Scott Rubin, who pulled and manipulated sections of sound from classical ballets, including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella.

This work was presented as part of Chicago’s Pivot Arts Festival at the Edge Theater.

How Did You Get Here?

The third iteration explores food, family, and lineage. It speaks to memories that unintentionally resurface. Chopping an onion, peeling the shell off garlic, grinding spices, the sound of vegetables sizzling in oil, the smell transformations of the slow, low-heat simmer, and the first taste tests can take the mind on a journey where memories become a place of joyful nostalgia, reminders of loss, shame spirals, and fantasy-living.

This work was developed, produced, and presented as part of Steppenwolf’s Lookout Series, work around, curated by Kara Brody and Amanda Maraist. The performance featured live cooking, conversation, singing, and movement. The set design featured sarees that belonged to my mother and my grandmother.

View the program Read a reflection by J'sun Howard Read a reflection by Sarah Stearn Read a review by Tristan Bruns

featuring sound by Scott Rubin and Bob Garrett

The final iteration reflected the full journey of this work. The process felt generous, offering time to intentionally connect with and reflect on the Bangali parts of myself—what I love, what I don’t, and the ongoing state of tracing, questioning, transforming, and becoming. Where earlier iterations carried a desperation to define who I was, this iteration arrived with more peace.

Rather than asking Who am I?, I framed myself as something that holds many working parts. I related to this Bangali identity as a relationship rather than something that defines me— or was placed on me— referring to this Bangali Meye as an it rather than a who. There was a sense of closure—an honoring and a letting go.

This work was developed, produced, and presented through Links Hall’s Co-Mission Fellowship program. It featured the sharing of food with the audience (daal cooked by my mother), live cooking, singing, and movement. The set design and props featured sarees that belonged to my mother and my grandmother.

View the program Read a reflection by Maya Odim

Excerpts of Bangali Meye have been presented at…

• APIDA Arts Festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago - February 2023
• Black Coffee + Raw Sugar curated by Aaliyah Christina at Links Hall (Chicago,IL) - April 2023
• University of Michigan’s “Summit: Through Her Rise” Teaching + Performance Symposium- October 2023