Young dancers wearing black clothes are waiting on opposite sides of the exterior court of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The crowd gathers around, trying to get the best view possible. Thankfully the sun is shining on this gorgeous early evening, which makes a beautiful backdrop for this open-air dance performance.
Kadamati is a piece by choreographer Akram Khan. It is to be performed in two different locations, Edinburgh tonight and Paris in September. In response to the divides that are more and more present in our society, this piece, performed en masse across two different locations is meant to celebrate diversity and unity in the 21st century.
Hundreds of local young dancers have been gathered to perform this six minute dance. They file in, taking their place around the fountain, and then the music by Nitin Sawhney starts. Despite the choreography being simple, the performance is captivating with the effect of the crowd combined with the powerful music.
The dance in itself would have probably been better performed by professionals, but this group of young dancers brings about a different message of humanity. They seem truly engaged, taking the performance seriously, and bringing to life the themes of identity, hope, and connection. It’s beautiful to watch so many young faces perform something that has such a larger meaning.
A highlight of the dance is how inclusive it is, as dancers of various abilities are performing alongside each other. While they are not in perfect synchronicity, all dancers are participating to the ripple and breaths of the crowd. It is a real celebration of life through movement.
One of the only downsides of the performance is not being able to see everything from a vantage point. It would have probably created a more powerful effect to view it as a whole.