The Colour of Time

THE COLOUR OF TIME, Artonik

Fri 22nd July 2016, Newbury Town Centre

An impressively large crowd joined in with Artonik's dynamic, resolutely contemporary dance theatre reinvention of the Indian Holi festival, turning the town into an exuberant, multicoloured street parade of movement, colour and music.

This piece started as a dance theatre performance, with dancers in ordinary clothes moving down the middle of the street with live musicians playing amongst them, while the audience looked on from either side of the street.

The dancers stripped down to white underwear then donned plain white Indian inspired outfits. They drew patterns in chalk on the pavement.

Soon the participation ramped up and the event turned into a joyous street party with members of the public throwing vibrant blue, pink and green Gulal powders all over each other, sending up explosions of colour into the air. The crowd followed the dancers down the street joining in with their dance moves. The event was a mirthful celebration of unity and acceptance of diversity, and a wonderful community moment.