One Sky is a breath-taking outdoor dance spectacle where the sky becomes a canvas for the spirit of togetherness and the joy of flight. Inspired by India’s vibrant Kite Festivals, this performance features thousands of kites soaring through the air, each one representing a moment of celebration, happiness, and shared experience.

The dancers, owning the space and interacting with both each other and the audience, bring to life the rooftop platforms where people traditionally gather to fly kites, merging traditional Indian dance with a modern aesthetic. Puppeteering adds a playful layer to the storytelling, creating a dynamic fusion of movement, colour, and energy.

Choreographed by Urja Desai Thakore, with set design by Simon Daw, One Sky is not only a celebration of Pagrav Dance Company’s 20th anniversary but also the largest-scale production in the company’s history. The performance explores the interplay between heritage and contemporary expression, creating a collective experience that connects diverse communities under one sky.

ARTISTIC CREDITS
Concept and Choreography: Urja Desai Thakore
Design: Simon Daw
Music: Alap Desai
Costume: Sandhya Raman
Creative Producer: Lia Prentaki

DANCERS
Astha Desai- Hill, Jaina Modasia, Meera Patel, Mira Salat, Parbati Chaudhury, Shyam Dattani, Subhash Viman Gorania

COMMISSIONING CREDITS
One Sky is Co-commissioned by IF: Milton Keynes International Festival, Sadler’s Wells and Arts Council of England.

PARTICIPATION PARTNER
MÓTUS Dance

ABOUT PAGRAV DANCE COMPANY
Pagrav Dance Company was originally established by Urja Desai Thakore’s mother, Abha Desai, in Ahmedabad. Urja reestablished it in the UK in 2005, as a platform for a contemporary, female-led vision of Kathak dance, as well as a vehicle for education, talent development, and nurturing future generations of professional artists.

Pagrav invigorates the classical form of Kathak within a modern British context, design, and presentation. Tracing our roots back to the traditional stories, we celebrate the power of dance and dance making to empower people and to change lives and communities.

Through a commitment to collaboration, and working closely with artists from other theatrical disciplines, the company is proud to have fostered a culture that encourages new thinking about the discipline of Kathak. A culture that honours the values of the past alongside the hopes and dreams of the future. We aim to encourage South Asian communities to embrace their creativity and culture, and to share that creative culture with people all around the world.

Previous work by Pagrav Dance