Madhulita Mohapatra’s ‘Zero to Sufi’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The eleventh edition of Odissi dance festival ‘Naman’ was held at ADA Rangamandir in Bengaluru. On the first day group items and some solo dances were presented by dance students. Three young popular Odissi dancers participated in the second day of the festival.
Renowned Odissi exponent Rahul Acharya took the stage by storm with his performance steeped in classicism. Both the pieces she performed were choreographed by her mentor Durga Charan Ranbir. His stage presence and craft in ‘Suryashtak’ set in Raga Bairagi was distinctive, aptly bringing out the mystery in the theme. Rahula begins with an innocent ‘Suryanamaskar’, after which he shows the various qualities of the Sun God as Diwakar, the ‘Jagatkarta’, the preserver of the universe. The grand journey of Surya on a seven-horse chariot was vividly depicted with graceful gait and perfect posture. Earlier, Rahul and his disciple Sourav Mohanty gave a commendable performance of Pallavi, a pure dance item in Raga Chakravak and Ektali. Sourav looks like a dancer to watch. The duo’s dance is known for strong footwork, clean linearts and balanced movements. They complemented each other well as they danced on Swar Marg.
Rahul Acharya and Sourav Mohanty | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Madhulita Mohapatra, the driving force of dance, premiered her choreographic masterpiece ‘Shunya Se Sufi’. Written by eminent Oriya poet Kedar Mishra, the abstract theme is borrowed from the ghazals of Mirza Ghalib and the verses of Oriya poet Achyutananda Das. The piece made extensive use of the range of rhythm. Madhulita’s disciples Nandana, Sahana and Liya accompanied them. The dancers present the effulgence of the all-pervading Brahman in a world where the radiance of the sun, moon, stars and lightning does not appear. The choreographed sequences to Sufi lines, ‘Baal Baal Jaaoon Mein Tere Rang Rajwa’ were spiced up with folk dance. Worldly bondages and egoistic behavior and their worthlessness were effectively portrayed through short expressive episodes. The depiction of Ganga Aarti was another attractive feature of the performance which won applause from the audience.
Aarushi Mudgal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
fluid motion
Aarushi Mudgal’s performance was a delight with some scintillating music by Madhup Mudgal and choreography by the dancer herself. A Jhampa Taal composition in Bageshree raga saw Aarushi effectively using the stage space in lyrical fluid movements, in various rhythmic sequences. His thematic presentation, ‘murta-amurta’, traces the cycle of form to the formless. Pure dance segments culminating in circles also showed an expanse of universal energy. From the serene expressions of Shiva (Shankaracharya’s Ardhanarishvara Stotra) and Rama (‘Shri Ramchandra Kripalu Bhajaman’), they danced to the poetic fragments of Surdas to create episodes from Krishna’s life. Once again, the plaintive tension of the courtier rapidly builds up on the nritta passage and brings it to a finale. ‘Pranasangini Re’ is a traditional piece in the Odissi repertoire, choreographed and performed by Kelucharan Mohapatra. The piece talks about Radha’s shame, bewilderment and anger, as she narrates to her friend an incident where Krishna betrayed her in the form of a girl. Aarushi’s acting left a lot to be desired.
Over the years, the festival has been bringing the beauty and essence of Odissi to audiences in Bengaluru.
The writer is a freelance journalist.