SBDC dancer Sonia Chandaria Tillu wowed audiences at the London Fashion Week at Somerset House this February with a 15-minute solo Kathak performance that formed part of the runway show for UK-based fashion designer L Saha.
Commissioned for the performance by Akademi, Sonia was in the driver’s seat through all the stages of the project - interpreting the designer’s brief, creating a classical piece to fit the brief, identifying and preparing the music and then of course, the choreography and performance of it.
Says Sonia about her experience: "I was excited at the opportunity to not just perform but also choreograph the Kathak presentation portraying 'Tandav', the creative inspiration for L Saha's Autumn-Winter collection 2018. I particularly enjoy exposing Kathak to people who've probably never seen the dance form before, and having the creative liberty to put my own personality into the presentation! At SBDC, we are fortunate to have high quality training and support, it allows us to dream big, have confidence in our abilities and step out of our comfort zone."
Sonia’s performance clearly made an impression. Her photograph featured in Vogue magazine’s synopsis of the show – most likely a new foray for Kathak dancers!
Videography: Eno Enefiok
Photography: Luca Latrofa
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