Deeply affected by a newspaper photograph that depicted a Syrian child uttering his last words: “I’m going to tell God about everything,” choreographers Neeraj Lohani and Reshma Sharma began conceptualising a contemporary dance performance that would reflect sentiments of great loss and unbearable grief. That is how Letter was born two years ago. Initially a four-minute piece, it has now evolved into a 55-minute performance, comprising six dancers. It will be showcased in its new format for the first time with the help of G5A Foundation, and additional support from BNP Paribas.

Letter is the fourth project to emerge from the foundation’s In-Residence programme — an initiative that allows artistes to pitch ideas, collaborate with their production team to develop them, and bring them to life on their experimental stage for long runs. When we asked Sharma what it took to turn a short piece into a broader performance, she admitted that the process was an interesting challenge for the team. “It involved multiple discussions and conversations. We were constantly considering what one would think if they were put in the shoes of a refugee who returns after war and hopes that someone somewhere is listening to their story. That’s what we wanted this performance to be about. We researched and watched interviews and tried to broaden our vocabulary to be able to embody all of that because ultimately our language of expression is our dance.”