News

The Rite of Spring Named One of Best Dance Shows of 2023 by the Telegraph

December 2023

Seeta Patel Dance is thrilled to announce that our reimagining of the classic The Rite of Spring ballet has been named as one of the best dance shows of 2023 by The Telegraph, alongside four other incredible ballet companies.

The Telegraph praised Seeta Patel's version as "a beautiful inside-out reworking of the Stravinsky classic founded on her training in bharatanatyam (one of India’s eight officially recognised classical dance forms)."

Read the full article here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/what-to-see/2023-in-dance-opera-and-cl...

Join Seeta Patel Dance's AGM 2023

December 2023

We would be thrilled if you could join the company for our annual general meeting, starting at 5pm on Tuesday 19th December 2023, you'll be able to follow along live on YouTube:

Seeta Patel Dance AGM (2023)

For those who have questions for our team, please submit them to executivedirector@seetapateldance.org by Monday 18th December or ask in the live chat during the live stream and we will try our best to answer them.

Seeta Patel Interviewed by Isaac Ouro-Gnao for The Stage

October 2023

Seeta Patel on her unique The Rite of Spring: ‘This is not something a contemporary dancer could mimic’.

As her company hits the road with its first full-scale tour after gaining national portfolio status last year, dancer and choreographer Seeta Patel tells Isaac Ouro-Gnao about realising her quest to stage The Rite of Spring with a rare Bharatanatyam ensemble.

“I don’t ever think I’m doing something so unique in the sense that I’m changing the form,” she says. “I just really enjoy watching the power of the form in this collective way. I want people to see what we’ve done. I’m proud of myself and everyone involved, of what we’ve done with Bharatanatyam and how we’ve staged it. I get a lot of joy out of watching it, even though I’ve seen it a million times.”

Read the full article here:
https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/seeta-patel-on-her-unique-the-rite-o...

Seeta Patel and Adhya Shastry interviewed in Desiblitz Magazine

September 2023

"In the world of dance, luminaries such as Seeta Patel and Adhya Shastry stand as shining stars, each with their unique brilliance."

Desiblitz magazine interviewed Seeta Patel and Adhya Shastry ahead of the autumn tour of The Rite of Spring.

Seeta talks about her 20-year career and about the process of working with Bharatanatyam in the production, and Adhya discusses her BBC Young Dancer win in 2022 and her career journey so far.

Read the full interview:
https://www.desiblitz.com/content/seeta-patel-adhya-shastry-talk-rite-of...

Seeta Patel Dance is looking for an Executive Director!

April 2023

The Seeta Patel Dance team is expanding, and we are now seeking an Executive Director to come on board.

A dynamic leader, excited at being at the forefront of building a dance sector that is representative of our contemporary society, the Executive Director will be central to Seeta Patel Dance’s transition into being an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.

The Executive Director will lead on the delivery of SPD’s large scale artistic programme and partnerships nationally and internationally. In addition they will oversee the delivery of SPD's financial objectives and audience strategies, embed exemplary working practices within the company, support the delivery of SPD’s overall strategic development and secure its role as a producer of quality work and major influencer in the UK arts sector.

Deadline to apply: Wednesday 10th May.
Click here to download the full recruitment pack.
Email admin@seetapateldance.com with any questions.

National Portfolio Organisation

March 2023

Seeta Patel Dance was successful in its bid to become a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) with Arts Council England.

This vital support will mean the company will be funded for the next 3 years!

As a small organisation/charity, it has been a constant struggle to try and create ambitious and important work for so many years. This support will give us the resource and stability to reach more people and have an even greater impact on the arts landscape.

We look forward to creating more high quality work, reaching diverse audiences, supporting South Asian talent, advocating for a more equitable arts world in the UK and internationally.

Watch this space for more exciting developments as we take this next step in our journey!

Seeta Patel Dance's Rite of Spring Features in the Observer

February 2023

Seeta Patel was recently interviewed by Sarah Crompton of the Observer for a feature on the enduring legacy of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

The article featured discussion of Seeta Patel Dance's new interpretation of the classic work, marrying it with the Indian dance style bharatanatyam.

"Patel’s version, in which the chosen one becomes a divinity, places the sacrifice as part of a cyclical process of birth, death and renewal – and in her view takes it back to the pagan ideas that influenced Roerich. “Christianity and Abrahamic religions are very terminal,” she says. “You die and you go to paradise. Whereas deeply rooted within paganism is the idea of birth, life and destruction to create rebirth. It really does lend itself to a non-western philosophy.”

Read the full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/feb/12/enduring-power-dance-class...

Black Lives Matters Response

June 2020

URGENT

BLACK LIVES MATTER RESPONSE:
SUPERPOWERS

(Please take the time to read to the end - we need to stop only reading the headlines)

In my little part of the world (and let’s face it, dance is a tiny part of this giant world), I’m in conversations with a lot of future leaders.

There are difficult conversations being had.

There is a lot of defensiveness, fear, silence, hopelessness, self-preservation and more happening.

I don’t want to say apathy, but more a build up of inaction that so desperately wants to be action, but doesn’t know how to manifest.

The outcome of this is not inaction. It is COMPLICITY in a system that is broken.

Step by step I’m learning what my superpowers are in this situation.

My superpower feels like throwing myself in to lots of fires. Some tiny. Some huge.

The purpose for doing this is to try and incite change. I do it knowingly. I’m absolutely terrified. And now I’m ready to deal with the consequences.

For a long time now, I’ve felt guilty that this was my superpower. That it was too aggressive, it was ‘intense’, that I’m full on, I should watch my tone and delivery, that the way I do things isn’t coming from a place of love.

I have actually been told these things, and I internalised them.

But I know it is coming from a place of deep love. And love isn’t always gentle. Sometimes love is fierce and wants to burn everything down because no one is listening and nothing is changing.

But I don’t feel guilty anymore.

What I am noticing is that there are many out their who don’t realise what their superpower is. Or how to use it for good.

Gentleness is a superpower.

The ability to charm and convince charismatically is a super power (trust me I wish I had it).

Calmness is a superpower.

I could go on but you get my drift.

So what we need now is not to feel impotent and powerless.

It’s time to look deeply and see what your superpower is.

And ask how it be used to push things forward in these difficult times.

I completely understand people need to ‘heal’ and look after their mental health, I would never ever say not to do that first and foremost.

But that can’t be the never ending default.

I’m sorry but it’s not good enough.

Especially if you are in a position of power and influence and leadership.

What is the plan after the space of healing you may need?

How can you do something amazing with your superpower?

Once you face the ugly bits of yourself, they parts that you know make you complicit in the problems we are facing, what’s the next part?

It doesn’t have to be plastered on social media (unless is helps you into action to do that).

It doesn’t need to be huge and grandiose.

The fears I’m seeing out there in the defensive responses to challenges are deep. Tiny but powerful seeds.

They need deep and powerful and maybe quiet weed killer.

If you feel the need to justify your silence/your reasons for not taking action/the need to step away. Anything. Then ask yourself what will happen after this self justification.

What was the purpose of this self justification (other than to make yourself feel less guilty)?

How can I move forward from my guilt and frustration and use my superpower.

Might it be that you can have a more fruitful conversation that challenges someone in a way they don’t feel threatened?

Be brave and do it.

This is GREAT! USE IT TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE ME FROM SCARING EVERYONE.

Is it that you know someone struggles to be called out by a person of colour but maybe they will hear a white person.

This may feel totally ridiculous but trust me it is happening.

WE ALL HAVE A SUPERPOWER.

Now it’s just time to use it for change and for good.

Take the time you need to be silent/heal/think/learn etc. But don’t let it linger forever.

PLEASE!

People like me need your help. I have a voice that many will never be able to hear.

But they may hear yours instead.

FEEL POWERFUL. YOU ARE.

PS. Leaders and future leaders. LEAD. Take the LEAD. PLEASE don’t let it always be the minority voices, the people on the receiving end of the discrimination that have to do the calling out.

You can bring it up so we don’t have to all the time.

It makes us the bad guy whether you agree with that or not.

And it also makes us tired.

Download
Resource document

Tanzmesse here we come!!

July 2018

As one of only 3 UK choreographers to be selected to present a studio sharing at Tanzmesse 2018, Seeta is delighted to be able to present an excerpt of her upcoming Rite of Spring with the support of Dance4 and the wonderful Sarah Shead of Spin Arts as her producer.

Successful funding bid to create The Rite of Spring

June 2018

After receiving a Choreogata Commission of £5000 in 2017 from Akademi, Seeta was able to create an excerpt of the iconic Rite of Spring with 5 international Bharatanatyam dancers. This lead to a great deal of interest and a subsequent successful bid to mount the entire work with a cast of 6 exceptionally talented Bharatanatyam dancers. The work is currently in development and will be premiered and toured across the UK in May 2019. Watch this space for tour dates.

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