Garba is a folk dance from the western Indian state of Gujarat. An important part of Gujarati culture, it is traditionally performed in a circle — with dancers moving to rhythmic music through repeated steps, claps and turns. It is more than just a dance to be watched: it is a communal practice, where members of the Gujarati community and others seeking to join the celebration, regardless of their age or level of experience, can enter the circle, find the rhythm, and move together. In Garba, the circle becomes a space for connection, celebration and belonging.
It is this spirit of Garba that Toronto-based dance artist and curator Purawai Vyas explores in RangaMandal: Canvas of Collaboration, a participatory dance and visual art experience taking place in Mississauga on September 4, which is co-presented by Dancemakers and Shvas Dance Company. Inspired by the Gujarati tradition, RangaMandal brings dance and visual art together on a 30-by-30’ canvas, on which participants will dance barefoot and leave behind traces of colour through their movements.
The origins of this experience
Vyas first explored the idea for RangaMandal in Toronto in 2025, after encountering a similar project by the Kala Collective in Rajkot, India. The first version was a smaller, informal gathering at Centennial Park. The response encouraged her to bring the project back in a larger form, and to think about how it could reach people beyond the Gujarati community.
What began as a simple gathering has now grown into a project that also reflects Vyas’ own experience of living between cultures. “It’s sort of a record of what it is to be a diasporic person, and what it is to be a Canadian,” she states. “You’re always learning new things, finding new things, and learning about new art forms and new cultures. At the same time, we’re always holding on to what we maybe left back home.”
This idea of holding on while continuing to discover feels particularly relevant to RangaMandal. Garba is a heritage form for Vyas, something she grew up with through family and community. At the same time, her professional practice is rooted in Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance. Through this project, she is looking at Garba not only as a community tradition, but also as a form with possibilities for artistic exploration.
What to expect
The experience begins with a workshop for those who may be new to Garba. Participants will learn a few basic movements before they enter the canvas space. One of them is tran tali, a simple three-clap pattern that can be found at the beginning of many Garba experiences.
Acrylic paint stations will be placed around the space, allowing people to enter the circles of dancers from different points. Once they enter the canvas, there is no expectation that everyone will dance in exactly the same way. More experienced dancers can move into the inner circles and challenge themselves, while those who are still finding their way can stay on the outer circle. Facilitators will also be there to help participants who lose a step or need encouragement. There is a structure to the experience, but much of what actually happens will be spontaneous.
The canvas contains a mandala that has been predesigned with symmetry and balance deliberately built into its form. “The design will be set in stone,” explains Vyas, “but the choreography of people is something you never predict.” So as the dancers move, the canvas will change. Footsteps will become marks. Repeated steps will create patterns. And different colours and movements will overlap.
The participants will not simply be dancing on an artwork. They will create it.
Exploring the many sides of Garba
This approach is particularly important to Vyas because with its elaborate costumes, fast-moving circles, and dancers who seem to know exactly what they are doing, Garba can sometimes feel intimidating to someone who has never experienced it before. RangaMandal offers an entirely different entry point. “This is something that we’re making together,” she affirms. “It’s a shared creation, and so everybody is equally involved.”
The evening also gives audiences an opportunity to see many different sides of Garba. Alongside the participatory experience will be performances that approach the form from diverrse perspectives, including community-based practice, staged performance, and contemporary interpretation. Live music will further shape the atmosphere, while a team of dancers, choreographers, musicians and production artists will bring together sound, lighting, photography and film to enrich and document the experience.
For Vyas, the heart of Garba is ultimately not individual performance. It is what happens when people move together: “Garba for me is more than a dance, it is a moving meditation. With every turn of the circle, every clap, and every step, we release, reconnect, and rediscover our place within a larger community.”
This feeling is something Vyas has experienced throughout her years of participating in Garba. She recalls attending celebrations where she did not know many of the people dancing around her, yet still left with a powerful feeling of being full and connected. She hopes RangaMandal will create this sensation for others, whether they arrive as experienced dancers, curious first-timers, or simply as audience members.
What will be left behind
At the end of the evening, the canvas will be allowed to dry. The finished canvas will then be signed and preserved as a record of the gathering. It will hold something that dance normally cannot: the physical trace of the steps, claps, and turns of an ephemeral moment.
RangaMandal: Canvas of Collaboration will take place at Small Arms Inspection Building (1352 Lakeshore Rd E #1352 Mississauga) on Friday, September 4, 2026, co-presented by Dancemakers and Shvas Dance Company. The workshop begins at 4:00 pm, with the main event following at 5:00 pm. Tickets and information are available at dancemakers.org.
© Yamini Menon, Sesaya Arts Magazine 2026
