About The Event
In this show, you will witness
- Lavani performance by a talented dancer, Akshay Malvankar.
- Audio-visual clips of traditional performances in different styles.
- Real-life stories of the artists, their matriarchal traditions, and
performance spaces similar to the Tawaif culture.
- Gender fluidity of the form
- Expression of desire in an unabashed and unapologetic manner
Additional Info: Some testimonials from the prior attendees of the workshop:
"This evening was an eye-opener in so many ways." - Vallari T, Entrepreneur, New Delhi
"Never knew Lavani could be so liberating. I was laughing, clapping and tapping my
feet non-stop." - Anwar Khan, Designer, Bangalore
"I felt empowered" – Amalia C, Student, St. Petersburg
"I watch it every single time they perform in my city, any version, any venue, any
ticket price." – Ankur Ballal, Dancer, Mumbai
"Flirted openly and aesthetically without guilt or shame" – Avdhoot Patil, Businessman,
Kolhapur
Akshay
Malvankar
With over a decade of experience in dance, Akshay is known for his modern twists to the
traditional form of Lavani. Breaking gender norms, Akshay loves to dress up and dance as a woman and has received many prestigious awards for this, including the Bal Gandharva Award in Pune, 2024. Akshay also specialises in make-up, costume design and hairstyle and conducts Lavani workshops for dancers and enthusiasts.
Bhushan Korgaonkar
Bhushan has been engaging with Lavani artists since 2002, which led him to write his award-winning book ‘Sangeet Bari’ in 2014. Based on this book, he created the much-acclaimed shows ‘Sangeet Bari’, ‘Lavani Ke Rang’, ‘Love & Lavani’, and ‘Kahin Pyar Ho Na Jaaen’. He has written Marathi Lavani and Hindi songs for music videos and films produced by ‘Agents of Ishq’.
Bhushan has been conducting such sessions and workshops in various universities and institutions across the country. He writes fiction that primarily deals with sexuality and crime. His stories on the ‘Storytel’ app are widely popular, as are his periodic features in ‘Loksatta’ and ‘Mint Lounge', where he chronicles his relationship with unique cuisines. Bhushan has recently translated Shahu Patole’s Marathi book ‘Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada’ into English, published by HarperCollins.
B Spot Productions creates performances that enable communities to share their stories, facilitate the audience to explore sensory pleasures and initiate conversations on taboo
topics. They also conduct Lavani workshops, writing workshops, food trails and culture trails. The group is founded by Mumbai-based writer Bhushan Korgaonkar with a team of multidisciplinary collaborators, including Geetanjali Kulkarni, Kunal Vijayakar, Anita Date, Reshma Shetty, Wasimbarry Maner, and others who create stories of love & desire, crime & thrill, humour & hope.
