Saturday November 1st (10:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
For participants with some movement experience, or for creatives from other disciplines

This session offers an immersive introduction to the aesthetics of Kuchipudi, one of India’s classical dance-theatre traditions. Participants will experience how rhythm, gesture, and storytelling come together to create layers of meaning. Alongside core movement phrases, Payal will guide you in exploring abhinaya (expressive language through face and body) and rhythmic footwork patterns. Creatives across disciplines alike will be invited to translate their own creative practice into embodied form - discovering new ways to physicalise images, emotions, and stories. The workshop could be both a technical and imaginative entry into how dance can dialogue with other art forms as well.

Biography:

Payal Ramchandani is a Newcastle-based dancer, choreographer,  in the South Indian classical dance style of Kuchipudi. As the only Kuchipudi artist in the North East and one of the few working at this scale across the UK, Payal is a flag-bearer for the form, committed to ensuring its continued relevance in today’s world.
Her work merges tradition with contemporary thought, using Kuchipudi both as a language and a lens to engage with pressing social and emotional landscapes.

A recipient of multiple awards and commissions, Payal’s work has been performed across the UK and internationally. Her practice thrives on inquiry, each project begins with a question that invites movement, dialogue, and transformation. She collaborates widely across disciplines and cultures, nurturing connection and empathy through her choreography.
Her portfolio spans theatre stages, galleries, festivals, and digital platforms. Notable works include Just Enough Madness, The Forest Dream, Once in a Blue Moon, and Of Love and Lament. She has also collaborated on Ajayu Transitorio (Yuvel Soria), Grief Floats (Company of Others), and Myth Machine (Sahej Rahal).

She spends her time choreographing, collaborating, teaching, and researching, nurturing both the form and its future practitioners. At its core, her practice fosters empathy, encouraging audiences to see themselves in the work-where movement becomes a catalyst for reflection and resonance.

Video link:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEIXmsL5DdWehBpPHr06IwG99C0cOwtk/view?usp=sharing

Photo credits: 

InShot...3673: Vipul Sangoi

IMG......_839: Simon Richardson

IMG...._239: Luke Waddington

DSC..9867: Sharad Sharma