'ROWDIES' pulls back curtain on queer love

Hari Krishnan's "ROWIES IN LOVE," as performed by inDANCE,  celebrated love between men. The piece can be seen this weekend at Jacob's Pillow.

It’s not often that one sees a totally unique voice in the dance world. But Hari Krishnan is one. He combines the specific gestures and strong stances of Bharatanatyam with the wildness of contemporary dance to tell relevant stories of today.
 
And at Jacob’s Pillow this weekend, (yes, the famed dance venue is featuring a spring show) Krishnan’s all-male troupe, inDANCE is showcasing his style by painting a picture of queer courting and love. The evening-length “ROWDIES IN LOVE” roiled as a cast of nine who asserted their power and passions. It was direct, honest and engrossing.
 
Lit in romantic and fiery red to enticing score by Niraj Chag, the evening-length dance, as seen on Friday night, grabbed one by the throat immediately. The nine – shirtless and dressed in shimmering red full-length skirts cinched with black belts at the waist – stood before the audience in a line at the edge of the stage. They were close. We could hear their breath and look into their eyes.
 
And then they unleashed a rapid-fire stomping and hand-gestures to the vocal gymnastics of a konnakol singer. They declared their strength as if they are upholding their right to exist for those who may question.
 
As the music turned to tablas drums, the dancers broke up their line to move one side – as if in a private world. Still moving from pose-to-pose via Bharatanatyam-style, they now claimed their individuality and pair off playfully. Dancers Demetris Charalmbous and Spenser Stroud are in the forefront – sweetly exploring each other as new lovers do. Smiling, embracing, and caressing, their liaison was flirtatious – lifting the curtain on relationships that for years too many wanted to shrink from and now, in certain circles, have grown hostile toward.
 
My favorite parts were when the dancers are all together – swirling in a circle like a bubbling hot stew. Their joy was so true that it transferred to audience who celebrated the freedom of skipping and running as one authentic self. Their raucous cowboy bit, perhaps a nod to the Chippendales dancers, also elicited a smile.
 
Of all the members of the cast, dancer Eury German deserved a shout-out. He led the section where a bouquet of red roses was both an offering and an awakening to each still (perhaps repressed) body that stood before him. German shined for his fluidity. He easily moved between the precision of the Hindi dance to the expressive freedom of contemporary modes. He threw himself into Krishnan’s style with power and knowledge behind his movement that was impressive.
 
“ROWDIES IN LOVE” demonstrated (and it’s sad that it had to be shown) that there is nothing to fear about love. Love can be rambunctious, volatile, heart-breaking, fun, but love is love is love.
 
In the Pillow’s Doris Duke Theatre, the piece was even more intimate – magnifying the impact of the dance.
 
“ROWDIES IN LOVE” is a piece that even the most demure will feel inspired to fall in love.
 
It will be performed at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today, May 2, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3.