Naavai Vasht

Collective Persian Dramatic Storytelling Dance Performance

Naavai Vasht is a collective dance piece rooted in Persian dramatic storytelling, choreographed by Dr. Elnaz Sheshgelani (UNESCO – International Dance Council). Performed on the 23rd of February 2024 at Fairfield Amphitheatre (Naarm/Melbourne), the work explored the embodied memory of the Persian folk song Naavai, weaving movement, rhythm, and cultural resonance into a live, chorus-based performance.

The choreography draws from Adamak-tion, a visual language system developed by Dr. Sheshgelani to encode ancient Persian dramatic dance. This form, which she has spent over two decades researching and reviving across the world, served as both the foundation and vessel for the performance.

As part of the Dance Chorus and the production team, I engaged deeply with this work, not only through movement but through the process of remembering. Naavai Vasht became a space where I reconnected with the stories, songs, and gestures of my cultural heritage in a way that was visceral and alive. Every step, breath, and stillness echoed a lineage I often felt distanced from, and through this collective offering, I felt myself drawn back in physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

The experience of performing Naavai Vasht expanded my understanding of storytelling through the body. It reminded me that movement carries ancestral memory, that within our gestures, we hold the traces of who we’ve been and who we’re becoming.

Creative Team:
Director & Choreographer : Dr. Elnaz Sheshgelani
Composer & Music : Dr. Robert Vincs
Production Manager : Aida Abbasi
Facilitator : Sahar Farzanfar
Lighting Design : Simon Bowland
Video & Photography : Dr. Rick Evertsz
Qanun : Vahideh Eisaei
Performers : Leila Mottaghizadeh, Jalal Ghorbani, Ben Mallinson, Aida Abbasi, Sahar Farzanfar, Elnaz Sheshgelani & Lars Wannop