From showing the trials and struggles of a woman who has been a victim of acid attack, to celebrating the glory of the motherland commemorating Azadi Ka Amritmahotsav, to introduction of properties in a traditional dance—Indian classical dance forms are blending modernity and tradition to keep the connect with the new age audience alive.
The Konark Dance Festival 2022 held last month was a perfect assimilation of themes that a younger audience would relate to, and, compositions paying reverence to different deities, to classical compositions performed on various ‘Raagas’.
Traditionally, performances open with paying reverence to gods and goddesses, and invoking their blessings and seeking permission to perform. In Konark, it is often towards the ’Sun God’ as the festival is set with the Konark Sun temple as the backdrop, or one of the forms of Lord Vishnu, with Odisha being the land of lord Jagannath, and incarnation of Vishnu. However, Debamitra Sengupta and group of Kolkata Mayur Lalit Dance Academy chose a ‘Desh Matrika Vandana’ shifting away from the traditional ‘Mangalarchana’ or the invocation of gods and goddesses.
“We always begin Odissi dance with ‘Mangalarchana’. It is generally an invocation to gods and goddesses. But, here, since we are commemorating the 75th Azadi Ka Amritmahotsav, I thought we should do a Desh Matrika Vandana called Numo Bharatam. It is an ode to the motherland,” said Sengupta, an internationally acclaimed Odissi exponent, and senior disciple of Late Padma Vibhushan Guru Kela Charan Mahapatra and Vidushi Sutapa Talukdar. The composition celebrates ‘Bharat’, India, which is a confluence of many heritages. Diverse cultures, religions, dialects, and faiths. Yet ‘Ekameva Jayate’ is the mantra. The composition’s script is by Pandit Nityananda Misra, music composition by Dr. Bijay Kumar Jena and rhythm composition by Bijay Barik and choreographed by Sengupta.
“Everything is susceptible to change. While we are preserving the ancient heritage, changes are happening. There has been a change in costumes, in jewellery from what you see in the ancient sculptures. Even for the musical instruments, we have included a lot of new ones into our recordings—violin for instance was not there in the ancient times, but at the same time veena is still used,” she said.
Concepts too, have been changing, which Sengupta said has always been the case, as whenever there was a religious change, the compositions adapted to it with the choreography becoming soft and sweet during Vaishnavism, to having more of vigour during Tantrism. However, the dancers are not moving away from the ‘Mudras’ or hand and foot gestures as described in the texts.
However, some additions have been made to get a more modern world connect. Sengupta, for instance uses Mexican waves to show ‘sagar’ or sea in her compositions. “We are incorporating modern choreographies in Odissi style. We are taking some new concepts and amalgamating them with Odissi. So, the style remains the same but concepts are changing,” said Sengupta.
‘Sei Ramani’ or ‘the woman, she is’—an Odissi dance composition performed by Meera Das and Group of Gunjan Dance Academy, Cuttack at the festival celebrated the struggling spirit of womanhood. Through traditional Odissi style and ‘mudras’ Das aesthetically amalgamated the tests and tribulations of Sita, Radha and the woman of today to show a common thread of suffering of the womenfolk. However, Das’s message was one of empowerment, to say, that while she is a life giver, a nurturer, is unique, unparalleled, and she is the most beautiful one, but she is also the epitome of strength and courage. The composition was based on a poem by Vyasa Kabi Fakirmohan Senapati, juxtaposed with poems of the noted poet Sri Ramakant Rath and Sri Kedar Mishra.
Danseuse Gopika Varma, a leading proponent of Mohiniyattam dance for four decades, a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Kalaimamani awards, though chooses to perform the traditional compositions, agrees that the art has to evolve.
Varma has added her own touch to Mohiniyattam by using properties in her choreography. “We do not use much of properties in Mohiniyattam, so I feel I should start using properties because art has to evolve. Changes are inevitable, and they are happening, but they should be for the good. And when the changes are made, they should add to the flavour of the art,” said Varma who used ‘Damru’—a small drum like instrument associated with lord ‘Shiva’.
Varma and group from Dasyam Centre for Mohiniyattam used ‘Damru’ in ‘Paramananda Natana’—the one who dances with ultimate bliss!—a composition of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. “There are seven ‘Tandavas’, this is ‘Ananda Tandav’, happy dance of Shiva,” Varma said.
Keeping with adding her own touch to Mohiniyattam, Varma started wearing coloured blouses, because she did not want to wear white costume, which has been followed in Mohiniyattam for the longest time. “I added coloured blouses, and now for some characters I do wear coloured blouses, but within the traditional Mohiniyattam. From plaited hair I changed to side buns. Also, the repertoire for Mohiniyattam was very limited, so I expanded that. Not many ‘mudras’ were known to us, while they were there. So, in 2003 I did research on the dance form and gave it to the world,” said Varma.
Artists are also cognisant of the challenges that younger audience may face with very traditional themes and styles, and are making changes. “To be there in the mainstream we need to take present day problems. We need to adapt, else how do we connect with the next generation,” said Sengupta, who also performs dance dramas and conveys the story more through body movements than ‘mudras’.
“I have done ‘Meghadootam’ by Kalidasa, which is an exciting and a modern concept even today. But, I understand that the language could be a challenge for many. So, we try to choreograph it in such a vivid way that everyone can understand what is happening, by not using too much of mudras but body movements,” she said. The artists say that these changes are resonating with the audience too. “We only have connoisseurs in the audience now, and commoners don’t come. People who are interested in you and the art are the only ones who watch,” said Varma.
