Given that dance in India has been the most conservative of the arts, and the last to address itself to the issue of modernity and the search for contemporary idioms of expression, it was perhaps inevitable that Sarpagati, when premiered in 1997, would spark off heated controversy in the Indian dance world. Traditional viewers, as well as some dancers and critics, were shocked, especially with the use of contact between male and female dancers, and with the bold treatment of sensuality. The item however struck a resonance with young urban audiences, who in most untypical fashion, gave the work a standing ovation.

One consequence of this initial controversy was that Indian organizers were reluctant to present the work, and for two years after its brief initial season, Sarpagati did not receive a single invitation for presentation in India. It did however tour overseas were it met with warm acclaim. Only in 1999 was Sarpagati again presented in India; this time round, the critical and public response was overwhelmingly positive, and Sarpagati has gone on to become one of the most successful productions of the Daksha Sheth Dance Company.

In terms of choreography, Daksha has continued in Sarpagati to look beyond classical dance idioms in her search for indigenous movement traditions which could serve as the base for choreographic extension. In particular, elements derived from the martial art of Kalaripayattu and the physical discipline of Mallakhamb, as well as from Yoga and gymnastics, have strongly influenced the choreography of Sarpagati. To this is added Daksha's own, very individual approach to rhythmic expression, which has its origins in her years as a Kathak dancer but which has now been radically transformed into a new and vibrant body language.

Sarpagati is accompanied by live music. Here again there has been much experimentation. In keeping with the austere and unornamented lines of the choreography, the music explores elemental sound sources. The eclectic array of instruments used in Sarpagati include the didjeridoo, an aboriginal wind pipe from Australia, the Indian bamboo flute or bansuri, the "rain stick" from south America, "tibetan" bowls for rubbing and striking, and an assortment of percussion - wood blocks, bamboo blocks, clapping sticks, and drums, including the duff from north India and the mrinow from Kerala.

The Daksha Sheth Dance Company has presented "Sarpagati" internationally to wide acclaim, at Savoy Theatre, Helsinki and at the Internationales Sommertheater Festival, Hamburg (1997), at Chapter Centre, Cardiff and at the Eurokaz Festival, Zagreb (1999), and at the Asian Pacific Traditional Arts Forum in Taiwan (2000).