Roots to Rise
Nandita Devika Shankardass
A journey of three women reconnecting with the earth, ancestral wisdom, and the futures that might yet emerge, celebrating freedom, resistance and community.
Theatre / Dance / Music | Suitable for all ages | 45 mins
SAT 29 AUG | Smithfield - outside (12)
Performances | 11:20 (AD) & 16:30 (AD)
Dance workshop | 15:45 | 45 mins
See all activities at The Big Feast 2026.
ABOUT
In dance theatre work Roots to Rise, Nandita Shankardass brings together three women, each absorbed in the chaos of their own world. Blending folk and contemporary movement with Indian classical dance, we follow their journey back to the land, the soil, and the stories written in the stars.
Set to polyrhythmic musical scores and guided by embodied memory, they confront personal and collective histories, learning from one another and from those who came before. In this shared journey, they reconnect with the earth, ancestral wisdom, and to the futures emerging on the horizon, celebrating freedom, resistance and community.
-
Roots to Rise Easy Read Visual Story PDF
Roots to Rise Audio Introduction
Roots to Rise Full Show Audio Description
There is audience participation in this show.
Seating is available in the Sensasian Zone.
-
Instagram: @nandidevi
Facebook: @nandita.shankardass
Nandita Shankardass is a dance and visual artist, choreographer and multidisciplinary facilitator. She is the founder of Welcome Movement®, centered around wellbeing, creativity and freedom of expression through movement and dance.
Nandita enjoys a creative practice with communities, professional artists and young people, in a range of settings from theatres to public space, including museums, galleries and the outdoors. She is curious about human connection and ecology, and is inspired by the act of exchange and co-creation, where we share our stories in accessible, engaging and transformative ways.
Roots to Rise has been created in collaboration with the dance artists who perform the work. They are female, of South Asian descent and trained in Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Ballet and Contemporary dance.
-
Roots To Rise creation and touring in 2025 was supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Inspirate, Stockton International Riverside Festival and Brighton Festival.
The R&D for Roots To Rise was supported by 101 Outdoor Arts Seedbed Funding and OmVed Gardens
With additional support from Old Diorama Arts Centre as part of New Narratives, The Rose Choreographic School and Studio Wayne McGregor’s FreeSpace Programme.
Want to enjoy more Sensasian events?
The Sensasian festival is expanding its 2026/27 programme across four venues over eight months, bringing an even richer range of events and experiences.
Explore film, music, dance, storytelling and more, celebrating the richness and diversity of South Asian arts and culture.
Get involved!
Each year, a group of community decision-makers helps build the programme, reviewing artists, sharing ideas and guiding everything from the line-up to how the event looks and feels.
Sign up to the Sensasian newsletter to get all news about the programme and ways to help create it straight to your inbox.