Shobana Jeyasingh - Recreating the 1918 flu pandemic through dance

Choreographer and director Shobana Jeyasingh has been creating dynamic, fearless and ground breaking dance works for 30 years. Born in Chennai India, her acclaimed pieces have toured internationally, tapping into both the intellectual and physical power of dance. Her major new work Contagion is inspired by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 which infected a third of the world’s population. It’s estimated that this flu killed between 50 and 100 million people, more than the First World War itself.

Felicity Finch joins Shobana and her company of eight female dancers, along with the show’s composer and video designer, as they explore the challenge of how to portray the Spanish flu virus and its devastating effects through contemporary dance.

Producer: Felicity Finch

Contagion is part of 14-18 NOW, a five-year programme of arts experiences connecting people with World War One.

(Image: Choreographer and director Shobana Jeyasingh)