Madhu Nataraj. , Photo Credit: Stem Dance Company
Karnataka’s rich history echoes poetry, dance and music within itself. With the highest number of poet laureates in the country, it’s no wonder that dancer Madhu Nataraj and singer MD Pallavi were spoiled for choice while researching their latest project, which premieres today at Bangalore Club .
Celebrating the Karnataka Rajyotsava, the 90-minute show will feature an eclectic selection of Kannada poetry, from the 12th century Sharanana tradition of the Lingayat order to the contemporary Kannada literature of Kuvempu. The show captures various scenarios of bhakti from the Dasa tradition of the 15th century to the writings of Shishunala Sharif of the 19th century. “We wanted to bring this rich heritage to light in an accessible way,” says Madhu Nataraj. “Some of these sophisticated philosophical concepts should be explored in various forms.”
One of the central pieces on display is Yashodhara, the Buddha’s Abandoned Wife, a 20th-century masterpiece by Masti Venkatesh Iyengar. It is evidence from the history of Karnataka that the poetic content is trans-religious, and that the notion of salvation takes many forms. Another interesting aspect of the tradition is the number of female poets unseen in the Gnostic repertoire. While Akka Mahadevi is always given primacy in history, Madhu draws our attention to the lesser-explored voices of the past.
MD Pallavi. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
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As for the themes in the poem, she explains the diverse locales present in the production. “Themes are varied – a celebration of nature, the divinity within oneself, expressing a deeply personal feeling, arguing for dignity and equality, and commenting on the current state of the world.” She adds that bringing this work to life has been possible because of her 20-year-long association with Pallavi, whose diverse interests, including theatre, inform her musical sensibility. Dancer says the multi-disciplinary quality of their work allows for fruitful collaboration.
Performed in the media of Kathak and Hindustani music, the show uses an aspect of the Kathak tradition known as ‘Ek Path Abhinay’, where a solo performer portrays multiple characters on stage, alone driving the narrative. The music reflects the transience of the poem by easily traversing the worlds of classical music and bhava geet. The lighting design was planned to highlight the nuances of the material, with two additional orchestral accompanists to enhance the evening.
The writer from Bangalore is a dancer and research scholar.