Shobana Jeyasingh: Recreating the 1918 Flu Pandemic through Dance
Choreographer, Shobana Jeyasingh鈥檚 major new work Contagion was inspired by the 1918 Spanish flu. Today, we discover how she feels about this piece during a modern global pandemic.
Choreographer and director Shobana Jeyasingh has been creating dynamic, fearless and ground breaking dance works for 30 years. Born in Chennai India, her acclaimed pieces have toured internationally, tapping into both the intellectual and physical power of dance.
Two years ago her major new work Contagion was inspired by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 which infected a third of the world鈥檚 population. It鈥檚 estimated that this flu killed between 50 and 100 million people, more than the First World War itself.
Felicity Finch joined Shobana and her company of eight female dancers, along with the show鈥檚 composer and video designer, as they explored the challenge of how to portray the Spanish flu virus and its devastating effects through contemporary dance.
Two years later, Felicity explores how Shobana feels about this piece in the midst of a new global pandemic and how the work is very relevant today.
Producers: Felicity Finch and Emma Betteridge for the 麻豆社 World Service
Photograph of Shobana Jeyasingh by Chris Nash
