Boring Motherhood Solo deals with the repetitive, tedious, demanding, thankless, solitary nature of being a mother – through dance, text and choreographic installations in space and time. It is Boring Motherhood Solo because it is nothing new or unheard of, and therefore, boring.
And yet, sometimes we just have to do the boring stuff to get through to what’s interesting. It is a journey everyone (parent) goes through, and yet it is the journey they go through alone, without anyone ever knowing or witnessing the daily-ness of it all. This work is an effort towards putting the mundane and the daily out there to become visible.
“I have been a mother for two years now, an incredible journey standing on the basis of its tedious, dull repetitiveness. Everything about motherhood mainly stands on mindless, repetitive actions that are highly demanding of my mindfulness.
Nayana Keshava Bhat
Being a mother while being a self-employed, freelance artist has been one of the most challenging things I have ever taken up, because they are both essential to my being, while sometimes (often) having conflicting needs. In this very overwhelming time of my life, this solo is my way of “making an order” into this chaos, offering it up for perspectives.
It is also a resounding acknowledgement in time, space and action towards all the parents that go through this grinding process with and without grace. Doing the relentlessly Boring but Quintessential.”
Scenario
Enter a room full of chaos. Make an order. Repeat.
Do the same activity again and again, over and over, until time (the day) comes to an end. Put clothes on, take clothes off, repeat.
Feed, poop, clean. Repeat.
Offer your body as food, hope that they accept it the way they should, panic, keep on trying, keep on panicking, go through physical pain. Repeat.
Be a cow. For prolonged periods of time. Accept it, enjoy it.
Try to understand what they mean through the cryptic language of their cry. How loudly, breathlessly, intensely, ridiculously are they crying? What do they mean by that?
Watch what you say. Be a good parent. Don’t say “Shit. Fuck.”
Figure out equipment you never need otherwise. Breastpump, baby toys, Kinderwagen, Fußsack (what?!), winter clothes (what?!), usable diapers, reusable diapers, eco-friendliness, correctness, socialness, self-careness, working-mom-ness, work-life-balanceness…….
The picture should be somewhat clear.
Credits
Choreography and performance by Nayana Keshava Bhat
Production assistance & sound: Olivia Mitterhuemer
Music: Original soundtrack “Waiting for Siddhartha” by R Chris Dahlgren, “Don’t sweat the technique” by Eric B. & Rakim , and “Sisters of Mercy” by Leonard Cohen
Stage-design and lights by Nayana K Bhat
Stage-design technical support: Carla Schwering
Stage-design consultation: Yvonne Schäfer
Produced by INFLUX – Netzwerk für Tanz, Theater und Performance Technical support by Szene Salzburg, Toihaus Theater
Funded by Stadt Salzburg, Land Salzburg, Bildrecht
Festival cooperation partner: Tanzimpulse Salzburg
Duration: 20 minutes (approximately)
Language: English
