The second edition of NCPA Mumbai Dance season 2020 curated by Kalashri Lata Surendra with Programme Head (Dance) Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, was motivating for the Dance in the written, spoken and delineated word, in Mentors of the city and their disciples. It was love, love all the way and the magical evening had its magic reach out through various dance forms. Unfolding with the traditional lighting of the Lamp, it gathered the pace of the Inauguration at the Experimental Theatre.
The spotlight fell on beautiful, charismatic Odissi exponent, mentor and Choreographer, Shubhada Varadkar, who raping with artistry the love pangs of that virahini, raised her soul’s lament to the dark clouds pregnant with rain and journeyed along its painful pathways to awaken all to love as sublime oneness!
The pathway of sublime love now moved from 13th century Nath Tradition of Saint Dnyaneshwar to 12th Century composition of Shri Jaydeva etching esoteric spirituality. Academician-Scholar Dr Uma Rele, Principal of the edifice Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya interpreted with mastery the messenger – sakhi as the guide(Guru) for the jeevatma to merge with the Paramatma. She awakened all to a love transcending barriers with an interesting exploration of this sublime love between Krishnamayi Radha and Radhamayi Krishna ‘through the oft-seen Ashtapadi Dheerasamire draped in a new light!
The magic of love to have all universe come to life was evocatively elucidated by veteran Kathak performer, Visualiser and Choreographer Shila Mehta. The beautiful message of Dawn draped in love to Kausalyaputra – baby Ram was etched with fluid grace and mirrored all nature coming to life to awaken the divine child if only to light up the light of dawn and all the waiting creation all around. Shila Mehta truly enthralled all with her message through the composition of Sant Tulsidas that love it is that lights up all creation with bliss.
Then came a love that shamed distance in being ‘so far and yet so near’ and it was evocatively explored through the Mohini Sujata Nair. The famous poem ‘Krishna nee enne ariyilla’ of renowned Malayalam poet Sugatha Kumari came to life as Sujata Nair’s eloquent eyes glazed with tears, etched the pain of that Gopi who remained in the four walls of her home and kissed Krishna’s feet with her soul even as lac- tinted feet raced towards him in euphoria. The choreographer with dexterity synergised the pliant disciple with herself, the poem to the poet and Krishna to the Gopika in sublime heights of oneness gathering all to the pain and ecstasy that is love.
Love is faith in one’s faith and a message. Through an ornament shared and exchanged between Lord Rama and the chaste Seeta with the divine messenger – Hanuman. Charismatic Bharatanatyam Dancer from Bengaluru and disciple of Guru Poornima Ashok, Medha Dixit Vellal explored Hanuman as the ultimate definition in servitude – Dasya Bhavam. Skillfully merging Arubachalakavi ‘s – ‘kanden Sitaye’ and Saint Purandaradasa’s ‘Enendalayua Site’ the pathway to sublime through servitude was brought to life through the glorious messenger – Hanuman!
On the one side, an ornament can bridge love and on the other hand, it can be the reason towards all humanity realising the strength of love in its exchange! With the sakhi Madhavi and the jealous Satyabhama in Sidhyendra Yogi’s dance-drama Bhama Kalapam, the strength of love was capsuled by renowned Kuchipudi Exponent and Mentor Dr Sailaja Desai (Satyabhama) and her Daughter/disciple Sindhuja Desai (Madhavi). Complimenting the Vachika that has Madhavi teasingly have Satyabhama identify her Lord’s name and seeking her nosering in return for playing messenger the two dancers coloured the characters with the poise of a proud Satyabhama in her defining womanhood by Dr Sailaja and that chirpy Madhavi endearing as ever in Sinduja Desai. Love knows no walls was the beautiful message that came through.
Love rules the universe gathering the infinite in every finite step and Dr Suman Badami’s choice of Swati Thirunal’s Kamini mane Sakhi gave the audience an amusing twist to the messenger who betrays the heroine’s trust and falls for the Lord herself. The sharp eyes of the Nayika reading the story of betrayed trust and pointing out to the running beads of sweat, the dishevelled hair, the smeared tilakam cornering the confidante was evocative, poised, assured and elegantly executed. Love is to live up to that cementing trust was what came through be it the messenger or the beloved!
The wind as the Messenger of love creating a canvas with dark clouds enhancing the pangs of separation was draped by the imaginative, dancer, mentor, Choreographer Manisha Jeet. The hallmark of a good Choreographer is when she uses the potency of her style in the right measure. No excessive display of that Kathak technical virtuosity but the innate essence of the saga of the virahini was what we saw Manisha portray here.
If love is the flower then devotion or Bhakti is its fragrance and Annamacharya’s message of the divine ambience of the all-pervading Lord be it in the microcosmic and the macrocosmic levels was draped gracefully through Mohiniattam dancer Ramya Verma Jagdish. Finally, love is burning in sublime ecstasy was visually defined by the committed disciple Sangeetha Rajeev, of renowned Mohiniattam Mentor, exponent and Choreographer Geetha Vijayshanker who evocatively delineated the nayika pining for her Lord Padmababha and etching love in viyoga – separation.
The support team that had Sound technician Nandlal Rele and lights by Shri Pednekar, ‘Messengers of love’ came a full circle with all hearts being gathered in a magical orb of love as they stepped out post-performance, into a February night to look past those wheels on passive roads to breathe in that love in the air which was the NCPA MUMBAI DANCE SEASON celebrating Valentine at the National College Auditorium, Bandra West, Mumbai.
All Pictures Couresty: Madhusudan S Menon
