Divya Ravi

Abandhana (Pāli: Unfettered) is a visceral multidisciplinary dance-theatre work by dancer, choreographer Divya Ravi, inspired by the Therīgāthā (Songs of the Buddhist Nuns), the earliest surviving anthology of women's writing from the Indian subcontinent. Blending virtuosic Bharatanatyam, live music, theatre and ancient Pāli poetry, the work brings 2,500-year-old feminist voices into dialogue with the lives of contemporary women through an immersive and visually striking performance. Created with support from Arts Council England, the project was developed through residencies with The Place (London), DanceEast (Ipswich), RedSapata Kulturinitiative (Linz, Austria) and Bradford Arts Centre (Bradford) between June and July 2026 and will be available to tour in 2027-28. The piece is performed by Divya Ravi, Sharan Subramanian (sound design, vocals), Abhiram Sahathevan (multi-percussions) and Liz Hanks (cello). Together, they create an integrated stage language in which movement, music and poetry are inseparable, where music and musicians actively embody the earthy visual narrative.