The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2023 - Issue 34

bitetheatre The stage opened to a translucent screen bearing the show’s title in big red letters. Lights went down, and the silhouettes of a loving family: mum, dad and three children (two boys and a girl) were seen behind the screen. Eleven other dancers later joined them in Asian fusion cos- tumes. The opening dance set conveyed pure, unadulterated happiness with acrobatic leaps, spins and hip-hop-inspired contemporary dance moves. One couldn’t help but tap a toe in time to the music, which had an underlying Bhangra music beat. The story showed a happy community (I felt strongly like a village), giggly and lustful girls eyeing up the boys and even- tually falling in love, community gatherings and celebrations. A knife-edged juxtaposition of highly vigorous bouts of energetic dancing depicting war-like danger and following a wedding party of one of the central character boys, an incident caused the three main characters to lose their families. The community is invaded by war, causing insecurity of home, sadness, sorrow and displacement. Following scenes of a significant kidnapping (of the newlywed wife), the family of three, alongside other members of their community, embarked on a life-threatening journey to find Photography by Lynn Theisen