| Chitraleka
Dance Company’s “The Story of C” depicted the journey of the element Carbon
in combination with different elements right from limestone to organic
matter to polluted air. The very beginning was impressive where the dancers
dressed in cream silk costumes reminded one of the beautiful stalagmites.
The backdrop
was a huge reflector, placed at an angle, which picked up the neat and
crisp formations and produced a multidimensional effect. It was a double
treat to watch the clean and near-perfect lines of the dancers’ bodies
on the mirror as well. Especially, the formations suggestive of Aumkara
and Swastika as well as Graphite and Diamond where Carbon exists in its
elemental state but in fantastic structures, were created with remarkable
precision. As the performance went on, a monotony of movements and positions
did set in. Also, the multimedia projection, for which the reflector doubled
as a screen, was at certain points a distraction more than an aid in enhancing
understanding. It was an impediment to the free play of the viewer’s imagination.
But, as Chitraleka later explained, the production was conceived keeping
also in mind the educational aspect of it. The dance company also has to
operate within an academic framework.
Bharatanatyam
and Kathak were the styles predominantly used in this production. All the
dancers had remarkable control over their bodylines and nritta,
which made it quite a visual treat even minus the slight ostentation of
the multimedia support.
Aniruddh
Vasudevan is a Bharatanatyam dancer based in Chennai.
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