What does it feel like to move within the physical and emotional forces of birth?

Meghna Bhardwaj brings to life an exploration of the prenatal in Mothers Won't Drown, an intense, intimate contemporary dance performance that traces the complex relationship between a foetus and the pregnant mother. Through fluid movement, close bodily attention, and the symbolic act of knitting with yarn, the piece navigates spaces of compassion, sickness, nourishment, resistance, play, and ecstasy.

The performance unfolds as a solo performed by Denis Barwa, blending dance, tactile gestures, and symbolic props to explore the oral and fluid-based connections that define early life. Yarn and knitting serve as metaphors for the umbilical root, while moments of rupture highlight the transformative potential inherent in birth. Inspired by feminist philosopher Adriana Cavarero's The Great Mother, the performance offers audiences an immersive encounter, emphasising the universality of birthing.

Choreographer: Meghna Bhardwaj

Performance: Denis Barwa

Sound: Marcel Zaes

Sound Inputs: Anirban Ghosh, aka Baan G.

Costumes: Kiran Sharma

Dramaturgical Inputs: Mandeep Raikhy, Wen Hui, Jasmine Yadav

Space: KK Studio New Delhi, Frankfurt Lab

Photo Credits: De and Da Productions, Frankfurt Moves 2025

Supported by Frankfurt Moves! At Frankfurt Lab, KfW Stiftung.