Shobana Jeyasingh

Shobana Jeyasingh CBE (born 26 March 1957 in Chennai) is a British choreographer and founder of Shobana Jeyasingh Dance.^[1]

Shobana Jeyasingh has been creating dance works for 30 years. Born in Chennai, India, she currently lives and works in London. Her highly individual work has been witnessed in all kinds of venues, including theatres, outdoor and indoor sites and on film. Her work taps into both the intellectual and physical power of dance, and is rooted in her particular vision of culture and society.

Shobana's work is often enriched by specially commissioned music composed by an array of contemporary composers — from Michael Nyman to beat-boxer Shlomo. Her collaborators have included filmmakers, mathematicians, digital designers, writers, animators, as well as lighting and set designers.

Shobana has also contributed to dance in the UK and internationally through her published writings, papers, panel presentations and broadcast interviews.

Jeyasingh has produced more than 50 dance works.

She states that her work is rooted in her experiences as a British Asian and explores the conflicts between diverse personal and cultural origins. Her choreography draws upon various sources, including Ballet, Bharatnatyam and contemporary dance.

Jeyasingh was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1995 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours,^[2] both for services to dance.

She holds honorary MAs from the University of Chichester^[3] and Surrey University, an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, and is a research associate at Middlesex University's Research Centre for the Performing arts. In 2005 Jeyasingh was the recipient of a NESTA Dream Time Fellowship. In 2008 she was named Asian Woman of Achievement for her contribution to Britain's cultural life.

Complete list of works

2022	Clorinda Agonistes (Clorinda the Warrior)	Commissioned by Sadler's Wells and supported by PRS Foundation for Music
2019	Staging Schiele	Commissioned by Southbank Centre and supported by DanceEast
2018	Contagion	Commissioned by 14-18 NOW and supported by Wellcome Trust (restaged 2020)
2017	Bayadère – The Ninth Life	Re-staging at Sadler's Wells, London
2017	Material Men redux	(restaged 2020)
2016	études
2016	Outlander	Commissioned by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and a special event for Venice Biennale Danza 2016
2015	Material Men	Commissioned by Southbank Centre
2015	Trespass R&D	Collaboration with academics from the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences at King’s College London and The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
2015	Bayadère – The Ninth Life	Commissioned by The Royal Ballet Studio Programme
2014	In Flagrante	Commissioned by Artakt, University of the Arts London
2013	Translocations	Part of the Knowledge Producers programme, Cultural Institute at King’s
2013	Strange Blooms	Commissioned by Southbank Centre
2012	TooMortal	Dance Umbrella, Venice Biennale, Dansens Hus Stockholm, BITEF Belgrade, London 2012 Festival
2012	Configurations	Part of Classic Cut Double Bill
2012	Dev Kahan Hai? / Where is Dev?	Part of Classic Cut Double Bill
2010	Counterpoint	Somerset House and English National Ballet for Big Dance 2010, Broadcast in 3D by Sky Arts
2010	Bruise Blood
2009	Just Add Water?	City of London Festival for Steps of St Paul’s Cathedral
2008	2Step
2007	Faultline
2007	The Dancer’s Cut
2007	Exit No Exit
2005	Transtep 2
2005	Flicker
2004	Transtep	Including choreography by Lisa Torun, Filip Van Huffel and Rashpal Singh Bansal
2004	4Squares	Mayor of London for Diwali in London in Trafalgar Square
2004	Foliage Chorus	ArtsDepot, London
2003	Café Event	Waterman’s Arts Centre
2003	Curve Chameleon	Greater London Assembly
2002	[h]Interland
2002	Phantasmaton
2001	Web
2000	Surface Tension
1999	Fine Frenzy
1999	Memory and Other Props
1998	Intertense	Choreographed by Wayne McGregor
1998	Intimacies of the Third Order
1997	Astral Shadows	Choreographed by Laurie Booth
1996	Palimpsest
1996	The Bird and the Wind
1995	Raid	Broadcast by BBC
1993	Delicious Arbour	Choreographed by Richard Alston
1993	Duets with Automobiles	Commissioned by Arts Council England and BBC
1993	Romance... with Footnotes
1992	Making of Maps
1991	Speaking of Sakti	Part of New Cities Ancient Lands Triple Bill Choreographed by Chandralekha
1991	Late	Part of New Cities Ancient Lands Triple Bill
1991	Byzantium	Part of New Cities Ancient Lands Triple Bill
1990	Correspondences
1989	Defilé
1988	Configurations
Commissions
2017	Here	Company of Elders
2014	Terra Incognita	Rambert
2009	Detritus	Beijing Dance Academy
2008	Breach	Ballet Black
2006	City:zen	Hong Kong co-choreography with Mui Cheuk-yin
2005	Pop Idle	Ricochet Dance Company Move Me Dance Booth
2004	Debris	Anurekha Ghosh Dance Company
2003	Triptych Self	Canasia Dance Festival, Canada
2003	Neon Dream	Sonia Sabri Dance Company
2003	Polar Sequences	Random Dance Company
2002	Curve Twist Gaze	Sonia Sabri Dance Company
University & College Commissions
2016	Dance Beneath	MapDance, University of Chichester
2009	Re:Mix	Laban CAT
2008	Body Talk	MapDance, University of Chichester
2007	Sibuya	London Studio Centre
2007	Taxon	Middlesex University
2006	Counterfeit	Northern Contemporary Dance School
2005	Skin Deep	London Contemporary Dance School

Shobana Jeyasingh

References

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