Writer & Director Sanjeev Dixit On Creating His Play 'Still Dancing': ‘I Became The Custodian Of A Family’s Deepest Emotions’

We spoke to Sanjeev Dixit, the writer and director of Still Dancing, about how he wrote and directed a story that is based on Vonita Singh’s father’s battle with Parkinson’s.

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you write this play?

A collection of voice notes from Vonita and her family, remembering Pa and those years when he was unwell, constitutes the framework of the play. I became the custodian of a family’s deepest emotions. To be allowed into their intimate world, joy, laughter, love and grief included, was a privilege and a solemn responsibility. And I remember hoping that I had done justice to this deeply personal story. Fortunately, the responses to our earlier shows dispelled my self-doubts.

What was predominant on your mind when directing it?

Still Dancing is a personal story with a message, but since it is a play I had to ensure narrative integrity and dramatic tension. As a director, I have to keep the writer’s baggage aside, and respond to the demands of the stage. It is a balancing act.

How have you used kathak in the play?

Kathak is an integral part of the story, given that one of the leading actors of the play, Shereen, is portraying Vonita who is a trained kathak dancer. Shereen has a solo dance performance while actor Avenav, who plays Vonita’s brother and is an excellent kathak dancer, is part of the group dances and of a very special duet at the end.

The story begins in undivided India and we have shown the horrors of Partition, the parents’ journey to India and the trauma of a person suffering from Parkinson’s through dance. Our choreographer for the dances is renowned kathak exponent, Kumar Sharma, who has combined classical kathak vocabulary with contemporary storytelling.