How Forest Man of India has inspired dance show with powerful message about protecting the planet

Jadav’s efforts began back in 1979 when, in his teens, he encountered a number of snakes that had died from heat and drought after ending up on a tree-less sandbar.

Determined to make a difference, he planted around 20 seedlings on the sandbar, continuing over the years to plant more and more and transform the area into a forest now home to several thousand trees of various species. Today, it covers an area of more than 1,300 acres and is reported to house wildlife including Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, deer, rabbits, monkeys and birds.

Dancer and choereographer Payal Ramchandani came across Jadav’s inspirational story during the Covid pandemic. “I just thought it was incredible,” she says. “This one person planted an entire 1,300 acre forest over the span of 40 years and the amount of motivation and the commitment it takes to do something like that day in day out is a perfect example that today’s generation can follow. It’s important to have real life role models.”

At the time, Payal had begun questioning the role she could play in protecting the planet. Those thoughts, and the research into Jadav’s story, sparked an idea for new dance show The Forest Dream, which premieres at Kala Sangam arts centre in Bradford this Saturday.

“Most of my work generally stems from things that bother me and this internal dialogue,” she reflects. “I think the process of making the work and taking it to stage helps me deal with things and look introspectively. It’s looking at a problem in a bigger way and making it public. It was question for me - are we doing enough, am I doing enough, for the planet?”

Created by Payal, The Forest Dream is billed as a unique blend of Indian and contemporary dance. From monkeys to peacocks, dancers will bring to life the trees and animals of North India as they tell the story of Jadav and how he has worked for decades to protect his island home.

"The story is my interpretation of his and his tribe’s relationship with the mystical ‘Aranyani’, the Goddess of Forests,” Payal says. “I wanted this show to be a wake-up call to the ecological inertia we have found ourselves in, and an urgent plea to course-correct ourselves. The Forest Man serves as a real-life role model to young people, to inspire them to act as agents of change.”

Weaving in Southern Indian Carnatic music with Western soundscapes, the production is a coming together of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi (both South Indian classical dance styles) and contemporary dance. As one of the few practitioners of the Kuchipudi in the UK, Payal hopes the show will encourage audiences to embrace and explore a more diverse range of performance styles.

She also hopes it gets people thinking about what they can do to help sustain the planet for future generations. “Just as I began with an introspection, I want the whole thing to end with an introspection. I want everyone sitting in the audience to question am I doing enough and if I am doing something about it, do I need to do more?”

Encouraging audiences to get creative in tackling climate change, Kala Sangam will also be hosting a free drop in craft workshop before the show and inviting children and families to create their own trees using recycled materials.

Alex Croft, creative director, says: “The Forest Dream is a beautiful show for families and children, using dance to highlight important issues. With the effects of climate change becoming a daily reality for many across the globe, T he Forest Dream offers a powerful reminder of the big impact small acts can have.”

The show starts at 1pm on Saturday, September 23 and is aimed audiences aged seven and over.

It is a Pay What You Decide performance, meaning tickets can be booked in advance, but there is nothing to pay until after the show. The audience can then decide what to give based on what they can afford and how much they have enjoyed the performance.

The craft workshop will begin at 11.30am and is free to join. Visit www.kalasangam.org for more details.