Please Find the Gap is a series of low-stakes sessions for learning, reflecting, and sharing, designed for anyone interested in South Asian dance histories.
The series seeks to bridge the gap between what we often learn in South Asian dance classrooms and the critical dance scholarship that can feel distant from, or inaccessible to, dance practitioners. Together, we will make space to ask questions, sit with uncertainty, explore historical materials, and think critically about how our current dance practices have come to be.
Across two sessions in November, and December, we will approach South Asian dance histories through journalling, archival exploration, and collective reading. There is no expectation of prior knowledge or expertise.
November — Exploring the Archives
Working with newspaper archives from the early twentieth century, we will look for traces of the histories that have shaped our present-day dance practices. Together, we will draw our own conclusions and consider what these archives reveal.
December — A Collective Read-Along
We will come together to read and discuss selected texts on South Asian dance histories. Reading materials will be shared in advance, alongside additional resources for those who wish to delve deeper. This session offers an opportunity to engage with critical scholarship collectively, connect ideas to our own experiences, and continue the conversations sparked by the previous sessions.
At its heart, Please Find the Gap is an invitation to get curious about the histories behind our practices, make space for questions that don’t always find room in the classroom, and learn from one another as we explore what we know, what we don’t, and what we want to know next.
Sessions led by Ranjini Nair , hosted by Siobhan Davies Studios.
In the Library
Mon 9 Nov & Mon 7 Dec
6 – 8pm
Tickets
Pay what you choose
Free / £2 / £5
Free tickets for Support Workers, Carers and PAs
You can book in advance, or come on the day. Tickets will be available on the door.
Ranjini Nair
Ranjini Nair completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge, where her research focused on Indian dance and its replication of socio-religious hierarchies. She continues to teach part-time at the university, writes on dance and performance, and is building her dance and teaching practice delivering workshops and guest lectures.
Outside of dance she works in public engagement for museums.
ACCESS AND AMENITIES AT SDS
Siobhan Davies Studios is mostly accessible, with lifts to all floors. There are two accessible parking spaces available on site which can be booked in advance. Blue Badge parking is also available nearby on West Square and Garden Row (for a full map visit the Southwark Council website). Our main door is power assisted.
Amenities include:
- Changing facilities*
- Communal showers*
- Toilets / wheelchair accessible toilets
- Kitchen: tea and coffee making, fridge, and microwave
- Snack Bar: We have a small selection of bars, drinks and food available to buy from the front desk.
- Shops: The closest shop is Superway Supermarket on Garden Row (4 min walk), the closest supermarket is Sainsbury’s on New Kent Road (7 min walk). We also recommend the Art Cafe which serves sandwiches, jacket potatoes and meals (3 min walk).
* Our changing facilities and showers are not fully accessible. Our closest publicly available and fully accessible changing facility is at The Castle Centre, a leisure centre 0.3 miles away from the studios. You can find full details of their features here.