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 'Krishna' dance drama and 'Nrityanjali' in Odissi - Manjari Sinha e-mail: manjari@sinha.com September 20, 2023 'Krishna', the spectacular dance drama production of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK), presented at Kamani Auditorium, and 'Nrityanjali', the Odissi dance recital by Gaurie Dwivedi at the Habitat Centre, were two of the recent attractions that left their mark on the rasikas of Delhi.   Krishna Speaking on the inaugural evening of 'Krishna', the production of SBKK running in its 47th edition, Shobha Deepak Singh, the Director and Vice President of SBKK reiterated, "The show expresses the innate truth of life. Interwoven with countless anecdotes into the narrative, 'Krishna' is a perpetual source of inspiration in both traditional and contemporary contexts, transcending all odds and the apparent chaos of present times." The two and a half hour long dance drama kept the audience glued to their seats, till the end. Right from the Krishna Janma to the joyous years of his adorable childhood antics, his growing into a young adult and romance with Radha and Gopis, to his departure to Dwaraka with a contrasting image climaxing with " Yada yada hi dharmasya....Sambhavami Yuge Yuge", the well-researched production treats the two identities of Krishna in diametrically diverse ways. If the first half depicted popular episodes like makhan chori, Kaliya daman, Govardhan Leela, and the erotic love of Krishna-Radha sublimating to a mystic level, the later part underscored the wise and valorous, detached yet intensely human, the diplomat who is a man of action, and the divine aura of Krishna's persona most convincingly. SBKK seems committed to pushing boundaries with each passing year. Imaginative use of the LED wall, for instance, provided the contextual backdrop and a quick change to various scenes artistically. The seamless blend of traditional dance styles like the Mayurbhanj Chhau and Kalaripayattu incorporated in the captivating choreography, the state-of-the-art technology with light and sound designs, intricate sets, opulent costumes and the overall production values along with contemporary relevance, have consistently offered 'Krishna' a fresh perspective. This is perhaps the secret of its popularity, attracting houseful audiences year after year.  Gaurie Dwivedi (Photo: Rahul Naag) 'Nrityanjali' was the dance offering by Gaurie Dwivedi, the seasoned Odissi dancer who is also a senior journalist and author of international repute. Her book 'Blinkers Off, How Will The World Counter China' has got rave reviews. With a Masters in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Gaurie is a senior editor with The Economic Times. Her dedication to dance has taken her to major dance festivals and globally reputed cultural events in India and abroad. Trained in two classical dance styles, Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Guru Yamini Krishnamurthy and Odissi under Gurus Ipsita Behera and Sujata Mohapatra, Gauri manifests energetic ease coupled with aesthetic elegance. Her command over rhythm maintaining the aesthetics of the dance form was evident in her graceful movements and expressive visage. Her Odissi dance performance this evening was a beautiful blend of grammatical precision and sensitive abhinaya. The Ahir-Bhairav aalap on flute created an appropriate aura for 'Pushpanjali' when the dancer invoked 'Omkara' with the Sanskrit Shloka, "Omkar bindu samyuktam, nityam dhyaayanti yoginah, Kamadam mokshajam chaiva Omkaraya namo namah", before commencing the Shiva Tandava Stotram. The juxtaposition of nritta passages in-between the verses of the Stotra in the immortal choreography of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, was carried out with clarity and finesse by the sure-footed dancer. Gauri looked elegant for her second item, the Jayadeva ashtapadi "Sakhi hey ..." from the Geeta Govinda when she took the mike to articulate the meaning of the Sanskrit song she had chosen for abhinaya. The ashtapadi symbolized the union of Prakriti and Purush, the cosmic symbol of male and female energy. Her subtle interpretative charm found full scope to portray the abhisarika nayika in Radha going to meet her beloved Krishna against all odds. The abhisarika Radha takes off her anklets so that there is no sound when she steps out stealthily to meet Krishna. The rhythmic gait changes in "Charana ranita mani noopuraya" from seven to eight beats time cycle lent a fine nritta digression to an abhinaya based item. The Odia pada "Ahe neel saila" by Salbeg composed by Raghunath Panigrahi and choreographed by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, had elaborate sancharis of Gajendra Moksha, Draupadi cheer haran, the 'dyuta-kreeda' game of dice between Kauravas and the Pandavas, and the story of Bhakta Prahlad interwoven in the devotional pada where poet Salbeg begs Jagannath to bestow his grace upon him as well, the way he had saved all of his devotees. Gauri concluded with Moksha along with the prayer for Mangalam, well-being of all - "Sarva mangala maangalye, Shive sarvaartha saadhike, Sharanye tryambike Gauri, Narayani namostute" which merged into the pensive swaras of the concluding Bhairavi, leaving the audience spellbound. The accompanying artistes with Gaurie this evening were Satish Kumar Das on vocals, Ram Chandra Behera on mardal, Dhiraj Kumar on flute, Gopinath Sai on violin, and Prashant Mangaraj on manjeera. One only wished they had taken time to tune their instruments properly to do justice to the immortal compositions of the Late Raghunath Panigrahi. Music is the lifeline of any dance performance. It enhances the beauty of dance, but it may also damage the overall impact if it does not reach the desired tunefulness.  Manjari Sinha has an M.A. in Sanskrit and Music, and trained in vocal, tabla, sitar and Kathak dance. She has regular columns in national dailies as a music and dance critic. |
