“Perhaps today, it is only through Indian classical dance, that the younger generation can stay in touch with all that is Indian. Classical form is multidimensional, and tries to create opportunities for the students to learn many skills, and combine them with dance. The festival ‘The Dance We Dance’ is dedicated to this cause,” explained Sharmila Biswas, the Artistic Director of Odissi Vision Movement Centre. The programme was held at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.
The first requisite of a dancer is to be able to sing even before she starts learning to dance, or at best both the performing art forms (singing and dancing) may be learnt simultaneously. What could make a better start than singing Saraswati Vandana, in raga Shankarabharanam in praise of the Goddess of learning followed by swaramalikas and bandish in raga Kalyan, Mukhari and Bihag.
Then the young aspirants, the stars of tomorrow went all out for ‘Sur-Tal’, with the dancers dancing and singing the basic and very essential seven notes, involving challenging calculations of tala.
Innovative piece
The senior repertory dancers played rhythmic instruments like dhol, tasha, nishan, and jhanja, while the others danced Sambalpuri folk dance and Chhau dance. It was an innovatively designed piece, because the instrumentalists were made to sit in the centre while the performers danced all around them.
The piece “Abahani”, which was a welcome dance was rendered by 12 upcoming dancers. The composition was rather rich and unique in content. The dancers performed with the ritualistic chanting of the traditional priests belonging to the temples of Odisha in their original voices.
The abhinaya, on bal leela ended with the dancers vocalising expressions of endearment. “To be inclusive, and yet remain within the form, within the sensibilities of Odissi is probably the greatest lesson I learnt from my guruji, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and this is what gives the dance form the strength,” commented Biswas.
While the concept and guidance was entirely that of Biswas, the choreography for the group dances was done by Jhunuk Nag and Tri Paul. Monami Nandy, Ankita Kulabhi, Rohini Bannerjee, Tri Pal and Nandagopal Jana played the percussion instruments. The stage decoration by the very talented Neelay Sengupta along with Nandagopal Jana made for a delectable evening.
Able disciple
Biswas has an added feather in her cap this year. Her disciple Saswati Garai Ghosh, who mastered the Odissi form from her Guru became the recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2017. The promising dancer who explores all possibilities to enhance her vision and has practised three bend line coupled with proper head, torso and lower limb movements told this writer that “Anga Suddhi” was very important to her.
She could not imagine dancing without a prior work-out. Saswati not only performs her mentor’s choreographic work like “Katha Surpanaka” and others but also has a collection of her own choreographic work.