'Roots to Rise'

Roots to Rise

In her new dance theatre work, Roots to Rise, Nandita Shankardass brings together three women, each absorbed in the chaos of their own world. Blending folk and contemporary movement with Indian classical dance, this new work follows their journey back to the land, the soil, and the stories written in the stars. 

Set to polyrhythmic musical scores and guided by embodied memory, they confront personal and collective histories, learning from one another and from those who came before. In this shared journey, they reconnect with the earth, ancestral wisdom, and to the futures emerging on the horizon, celebrating freedom, resistance and community.

Roots to Rise is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by An Indian Summer Festival, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Brighton Festival. With additional support from Old Diorama Arts Centre as part of New Narratives, The Rose Choreographic School and Studio Wayne McGregor’s FreeSpace Programme. The R&D for Roots To Rise was supported by 101 Outdoor Arts, Seedbed Funding and OmVed Gardens. 

“Nandita Shankardass’s Roots to Rise never fails to warm my heart, entice me and remind me of the importance of representation of stories from the Global South on UK stages”

“We see the performers move in and out of states as if they take on the roles of their mothers and grandmothers who have fought for their liberation, but also themselves as young girls held by this maternal line.”

“Once again the work evokes images of ancient female healers that harness change and transformation through the element of fire and circular pathways. The final expression is one of power dynamics, control and anguish, portraying the performers in contrasting roles and characters that may reflect their ancestral pasts.”

Review Dance Art Journal 

101
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Anjana Bala
Aishani Ghosh
Tulani Kayani - Skeef
Adhya Shastry
Karishma Young

Producer, Director & Choreographer - Nandita Shankardass
Dance Artists - Anjana Bala, Aishani Ghosh, Tulani Kayani - Skeef, Adhya Shastry, Karishma Young
Music - Amrit Kaur, Alam Khan, Arjun K.Verma, Del Sol Quartet, Flux, Nilan Chaudhuri, Ojas Adhiya, Sabiyha and additional music by Shammi Pithia
Dramaturge - Poonam Brah
Visual Vernacular Consultant - Zoë McWhinney
Set Fabrication - Mike Pattison
Costume Design - PINANKI
Artwork - Nandita Shankardass
Set Design Consultant - Arjun Assa Singh
Production Manager - Chris Burr
Stage Managers - Manoj Tiwary, Mithun Gill & Sienna Aggarwal
Maypole Consultant - Poppy Bastin
Audio Description - Meera Patel
Audio Description consultant - Lester Woo

Filmed and Edited by Wilkie Branson

Performance Dates

Resources

Easy Read Visual Guide

Lyrics for songs featured in the show

Audio Description Introduction for Roots to Rise – Written and recorded by Meera Patel 

 

Get to Know Nandita Shankardass – Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2025  

Available for Touring

This show is available for touring.
Contact nanditashanks@gmail.com for bookings and information.

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  • Karishma Young

    is a performer, movement artist and recently qualified yoga teacher based in London, UK. She trained at Rambert School and after graduating went on to complete a master’s degree with Emergence Dance Company. During this time, she worked with Richard Alston Dance Company, New Adventures, Christopher Bruce, Joss Arnott, Becky Namgauds and Kevin Turner.
    Since then, Karishma has been working freelance across the UK. She has performed projects with choreographers and companies including Anjali Mehra, Tom Jackson Greaves, Roisin Whelan Dance, New Adventures, Ascension Dance, and Eliot Smith Dance. Her professional experience includes stage shows, opera films, musicals, dance films, music videos and outdoor work.

  • Adhya Shastry

    is a Bharatanatyam and contemporary dancer currently training at London Contemporary Dance School at The Place. She was named the 2022 BBC Young Dancer and is a former member of the National Youth Dance Company. Through these experiences, she has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Alesandra Seutin, Seeta Patel, and Chandenie Gobardhan. She finds joy in storytelling through movement, drawing on a rich vocabulary of classical and contemporary dance to share powerful, expressive narratives.

  • Tulani Kayani – Skeef

    is a London-based dance artist and the founding director of In Your Skins, a company that offers movement workshops focused on body confidence and wellbeing for women. She trained in ballet, tap, and modern styles before focussing on Kathak dance with Guru Sujata Banerjee. In 2019 Tulani became a South Asian category finalist in BBC Young Dancer. She has worked with Sujata Banerjee Dance Company and has performed in a range of venues, including Sadler’s Wells and the Royal Albert Hall. Tulani continues to develop her voice as a choreographer with her debut work, You With U, premiered at Resolution 2023. She most recently choreographed and performed in Bombay Mami’s music video, Fire in Delhi.

  • Aishani Ghosh

    is a UK-based freelance performer, artist and teacher. She trained in Bharatnatyam (under the guidance of Smt. Chitraleka Bolar) and in Ballet and Contemporary at London Contemporary Dance School. Aishani has performed for choreographers such as Vidya Patel, Shobana Jeyasingh, Dickson MBI, James Cousins and has joined Olivier nominated Seeta Patel Dance Company as a company artist. She is intrigued by history and culture and how that shapes a dancer’s movement. Aishani has just started her masters at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance where she envisions her research helping the South Asian Industry.

  • Anjana Bala

    is a dance artist and anthropologist. She’s mostly curious how people live and how they might live well. She is currently part of the Rose Choreographic School at Sadler’s Wells.