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 SPINE presents Nichani- Tapati Chowdhuriee-mail: tapatichow@yahoo.co.in May 28, 2026 SPINE stands for Performing Interdisciplinary Narratives against Exclusions. It is an initiative by Aishika Chakraborty, Dheeman Bhattacharyya who staged their opening show in collaboration with Dancers' Guild on May 1, 2026 at Manjusri Sabhagriha in Salt Lake City, Kolkata. Spine has been designed with the noble aim to be more than a collective for the arts; it is a movement to redefine the stage. By changing narratives - personal or collective - SPINE will move away from the proscenium to the open air - to the intimate and immersive. It proposes to narrate stories from the periphery to the centre, dismantling hierarchies of power and authoritarian aesthetics. Nichani was Spine's inaugural performance. It was an emotionally invested, musically woven and ingeniously choreographed presentation by an ensemble of artistes of Kolkata and Santiniketan. Keeping the vision of SPINE alive, the performance broke the hierarchy between the stage and the audience by providing an inclusive experience to everyone through immersive staging technique, which was rather remarkable. As declared in the beginning of the event, the audience was an integral part of the collective. The performance proved it by spatially integrating the audience and altering their role as passive spectators to active part of the performance. Through fluid movement and embodied expression, performers set the space in motion - dissolving boundaries between space, audience, and performance, lighting design which was at once symbolically coded and consciously curated. The interplay of the light and the movement, the colour coded costumes and emotions, made the choreography visually poetic. The earthy toned serenity along with the crimson intensity and muted luminosity added to the characterological elegance of the performers. Bathed in the raw, flickering glow of earthen lamps and pierced by cold, dramatic lighting, the songs wove stories of ecstasy, pathos and resilience. Backed by an incredible live musical score, the production masterfully transformed the performance space, moving entirely away from a traditional stage performance. In Nichani, each song told a story. Each dance voiced an emotion. The immersive performance was created and directed by Aishika Chakraborty. Dheeman Bhattacharyya, theatre practitioner and multi-disciplinary performer, played the role of the "Chief Protagonist" of the performance. Theatricality was more than evident in his songs as he beautifully captured the dramatic flair of the performance.  Dheeman Bhattacharyya Bimbavati Devi's rendition of "Nishithe ki koye gelo mone" from Tagore's Natir Puja, staging of which completes a centenary this year, wove an evocative choreography in Manipuri dance style. Bimbavati Devi specially chose this particular lyric for her dance, because the performance took place on Buddha Purnima day.  Bimbavati Devi Sadhana Hazra's "Sukhahin nishdin", once again, displayed her versatility as a contemporary Indian dancer foregrounding her forte in martial arts. Aishika Chakraborty's gripping portrayal of "Keno bajao" potentially transformed romance into resistance, pleasure into protest. As an Arts Collective, SPINE primarily draws its strength and inspiration from Dancers' Guild, the institution founded by Dr. Manjusri Chaki-Sircar. Aishika Chakraborty's choreography is deeply influenced by the technique and methodology of her mentor, Manjusri Chaki-Sircar. In songs like "Aaj jemon kore gaiche akash"; "Mono mohana gohono"; and "Hridaya nandana bane", Aishika recreated the technique in her own way. 
Mrittika Sarkar, Meghna Ghosh, Tanwi Mishra, Monalisa Chakraborty, Urmi Mookerjee and Jonaki Sarkar together embodied the emotions of Nichani. Some of the lyrics that were chosen, such as, "Hridaya nandana bane" in raag Misra Pancham and Sohini; "Mono mohana gohono" in Asavari raag; "Keno bajao" in raag Kafi; the kirtan based raag "Aaj jemon kore gayiche akash" and "Sukho heen nishi din" in Nat Mallar vocalized melodiously by Dheeman were songs I had never seen being performed and expressed through dance. The dances were excellently choregraphed and emoted. The second half of the program was called Nor'easters. Based on Tagore's songs of summer this performance was directed by Peddro Sudipto Kundu. It was a very novel idea, which surely calls for a great deal of commitment. Performers of Dancers' Guild explored a new body dynamic called "Theatance". The technique integrates physical awareness, breath, rhythm, and movement to create a language that originates from within - where feeling becomes form. Here the body expresses the emotions with or without dialogue. A dramatic rendition of Tagore's poem "Baisakh" by Peddro Sudipto Kundu was punctuated by collective dance performance, set to the instrumental scores of the songs like Baisakh hey, Darun agni bane re, Eso eso hey trishnar jal, Oi bujhi Kalbaisakhi etc. The performers allowed the emotions to guide their body, expressing Tagore's songs without the lyrics.  Tapati Chowdhurie trained under Guru Gopinath in Madras and was briefly with International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi. Presently, she is a freelance writer on the performing arts. She is the author of 'Guru Gopinath: The Making of a Legend.' |
