Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company - FORBIDDEN

As the stage shifts and cracks beneath her feet, ankle bells—traditionally worn by classical dancers in India—take on new meaning. They become symbols of desire deemed unacceptable, objects shaped by the male gaze, and boundaries meant to be crossed.

An evocative soundscape by composer Nikki Wells weaves together vocals, tabla, pakhawaj, cello, classical compositions, and spoken text.

FORBIDDEN was nominated in the category of outstanding female modern performance in the 2023 National Dance Awards UK.

Event info
Run time: 1 hour, 8 minutes

Content warning: This show explores mature themes, including female desire, sexuality, and societal taboos.

Ticket pricing
$25 - $50 additional fees may apply
Ways To Save

See more and save with package options designed to help you build your perfect season! Save 20% when you purchase tickets to two or more eligible shows.

Dance & Circus package—pick two from:

• ‘Twas the Night Before…

• Yoann Bourgeois & Patrick Watson
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

• Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company - FORBIDDEN

• Nederlands Dans Theater - NDT 2

The Stage is Yours package:

• Mix and match any two shows from [TO Live’s 2026-27 season](tolive.com/season-26-27 "Link to TO Live's 26-27 webpage")

Looking for even more value? A limited number of 2-for-$50 tickets are also available on select performances throughout the season. Offer excludes ‘Twas the Night Before… and is subject to availability.

Ticket packages and 2-for-$50 offer go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 am.

Credits and Creative Team

Concept, dance, and choreography: Aditi Mangaldas

Dramaturge: Farooq Chaudhry
Mentor: Morag Deyes
Light design: Michael Hulls

Associate lighting designer: Ryan Joseph Stafford

Music composer: Nicki Wells

Musical arrangements, production, programming, engineering, and mixing: Nicki Wells

Indian classical renditions: Faraz Ahmed & Ashish Gangani

Musicians: Nicki Wells & Faraz Ahmed (vocals), Ashish Gangani (pakhawaj), Mohit Gangani (tabla)

Specially featuring: Saskia Rao-De Hass (cello)

Text (spoken or sung):
Classical composition: Meerabai
Rosas: Nicki Wells

Adornment: Inspired by the Kamasutra & Seema Anand’s book The Arts of Seduction

Story: Aditi Mangaldas
Costume design: Kimie Nakano
Costume realization: Sandhya Raman
Technical director: Christopher Flux
Rehearsal director: Gaurav Bhatti
Touring sound engineer: Yogesh Dhawan
Technical stage manager: Nicholas Morris

Production management: Sangeeta Rana, Kusum Arora, and Manish Sharma

Company representative: Aaron Fernandes

Production: Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company and The Drishtikon Dance Foundation

Reviews

★★★★★ “Spectacular dancing with raw passion, powerful pauses, emotive gestures, and stunning stage mastery. Forbidden got a standing ovation and announced itself as a potential gamechanger for Indian dance.” —EasternEye, U.K.

★★★★ “Earnest and sensitive albeit frank...Heady, hazy and sometimes unsettling...a refined but radical image.” —The Guardian, U.K.

“Her artistry and poise, her dramatic gifts and unshakable technique are truly astounding; dance as effortlessly compelling as this is a joy to watch in itself.” —Perth International Arts Festival

“Majestic hypnotic movements...intimate, urgent and deeply sensual...Mangaldas makes a mastery of the stage.” —The Review Hub, U.K.

“With undiminished brilliance and virtuosity in the decades of her dancing career, Aditi Mangaldas presented a whirlwind of electrifying choreography executed with stunning power and precision.” —The Hindu, India

“Marvelous performer who commands the stage throughout.” —Seeing Dance, U.K.

“A captivating experience... erupts in energetic brilliance...demonstrating her awe-inspiring control while creating an impactful picture...Mangaldas certainly commands the space.” —The Straits Times, Singapore

“Someone like Aditi Mangaldas is so important, because she is transforming the Kathak tradition from within.” —Financial Times