Questioning meaning & feminine images in Pagrav Dance Company's 'ROOH: Within Her'

Image: Urja Desai Thakore & Pagrav Dance Company in ROOH: Within Her | Photographer: Pari Naderi

If an examination of two sides of femininity is what you’re looking for, Pagrav Dance Company’s ROOH: Within Her fits the bill. Fighters and mothers comprise the short story format choreographer and Kathak dancer Urja Desai Thakore builds, but despite its moving nature, the dive into feminine images feels overly simplistic.

Thakore dances out stories, both fictional and real, from India. The first is mythical and emotional as Thakore embodies a mother desperately overturning a battlefield to find the body of her son, rumoured to have been killed in cowardice. Thakore’s hands scrabble at a cloth crumpled on the floor representing earth and bodies before she raises her arms as if cradling a baby. Her gaze softens, radiating a mix of pride and grief. Tender moments like this are scattered across ROOH in depictions of motherhood. Whilst they perfectly capture a warm maternal love, these depictions lack the painful complexity often woven into the bond between mother and child. The result is a sweet image, but one that craves depth. It’s a curious choice, given that Within Her surely promises an internal exploration but largely focuses on the surface.

Familial relationships extend into recorded dialogue between Thakore’s daughter, Mahika, and mother, Abha Desai, as they talk about the stories Thakore chooses to dance upon, allowing us a glimpse into her choices and the inspirations behind ROOH. These conversations skilfully offer explanations and translations for those of us not familiar with the stories Thakore tells. Their gentleness make it easy to picture a cosy homelife. Yet, there are snatches of differences between generations and evolving times too. When Thakore’s mother speaks about the pride the mythical mother feels when she realises her child in fact fought courageously, and how her search is spurred not by sorrow but a need for reassurance concerning bravery, Mahika points out the sadness and shock of a parent sending their child to war. These divisions in worldview imply the multi-layered experiences of heritage rarely spoken about. Frustratingly, these difficulties are only hinted at, and ROOH stakes its place as an empowering but occasionally naïve work.

Image: Urja Desai Thakore in ROOH: Within Her | Photographer: Pari Naderi

ROOH’s most memorable strength is undoubtedly Thakore’s approach to the stage. Musicians broach her space as a dancer, joining her in physically embodying stories as they beat rhythms with bamboo sticks while they enact fearful villagers or an enemy to be fought. Breaking down the usual Western barriers between music and dance defies the convention of roles being categorised on stage, fleshing out stories that might feel lacking in a solo body. Thakore’s own singing is a beautiful entity that transports us to her family history as the dialogue describes the atypical adoption between two sisters. Indeed, personal pasts expressed through Thakore’s physicality and musical skill (Abha Desai is a singer and composer) invites in a subtle sanctity. It feels like a privilege to have Thakore share her own matriarchal bonds with us, and it is this intimacy that makes ROOH enjoyable. Naturally Thakore’s skills in music, martial arts influences and Kathak colour the work, with an emphasis on artistry and feeling – no flashy virtuosity is required to make ROOH stand out.

Heart-melting in places, but with a tendency to miss more critical meanings, ROOH is worth seeing for its narrative power. Thakore’s performance is filled with warmth and makes for a feel-good performance in spite of ROOH’s shortcomings.

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Pagrav Dance Company has been nominated for the National Dance Awards 2025 for the Best Independent Company category.