He is known for doing the unusual, whether it was bringing an unconventional dance form to the city or his international collaborations. Contemporary dance guru and enthusiast Hrishikesh Pawar has again managed to surprise us. This time, he has brought down German-Indian project DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL. The project marks a collaboration between two choreographers Ben J. Riepe from Düsseldorf and Navtej S Johar from New Delhi. They worked together - with equal parts taking place in India as well as in Germany - with an international cast of dancers, performers and musicians. "The idea behind bringing this down, To give an audience something new. The collaboration in a way is very interesting as a German artist comes together with an Indian artist both know in their own terms. But this influences the view on dance world wide, also looks into the movement of Contemporary. There is also a talk with the artiste at Artsphere which will be curated by me to better understand the collaboration and also to understand them as independent artists," said Pawar. With this collaboration do we get to see much more acclaimed international talent showcasing in the city? "The last few years I have pushed more acclaimed artists to visit the city. We are just warming up for the up coming Prayatna Film & Dance Festival in the month of April as we have more artists coming to town." The project is stage piece with six performers, dancers, a live musician and a singer. The production is dealing with anxiety and cultural codes of representing sexuality on stage. The piece is a interwoven collage of performance, live art and dance around the themes of the male body, belonging, sexual desires and borders of expression. Ben J. Riepe and Navtej S. Johar found a very sensitive way to abstract and express feelings of loneliness, longing, desire, intimacy and vulnerability. They have chosen a path that represents the body while concentrating on the individuality of the performers.
