We tend to think of festivals as fixed entities, rooted to a particular place and time. But then there are exceptions to the rule and the annual dance festival, Nrityabharathi, is one such event. A nomadic festival, it pops up in a new location each year, showcasing solo dancers from the eight officially recognised styles of classical dance. Organised by the Bangalore-based arts organisation, Natyasaraswathi, in collaboration with the All India Artists’ Association, Nrityabharathi turns seven in Mumbai with an evening of performances by 10 classical dancers at Ravindra Natya Mandir this weekend.
Festival curator Saraswathi Rajathesh, a dancer herself, elaborates on the concept of the festival. “In performance, we usually see the more popular classical dance styles. What if we had the opportunity to witness eight dance styles in the same evening? We’ve also decided to work with dancers who don’t belong to the host city, so that the audience gets to meet new dancers and see fresh work.”
Legends of Krishna
For Sattriya dancer Olimoni Dutta Saikia, Mumbai is a long way away and thus an exciting challenge. Based in Namrup, Assam, Dutta Saikia has studied Sattriya with three teachers, starting at an early age. At the festival, she begins with a thematic pure dance piece inspired by the stories of Krishna’s dances with the gopis . This is followed by a borgeet , an abhinaya danced to a poem by the 16th century Vaishnava poet Madhavdev.
In the poem, Krishna sneaks into a gopi ’s house to eat butter. Caught in the act, he claims he entered the house to remove an ant that made its way into the butter. The gopi ’s doubts are assuaged, but she wonders why Krishna awoke her sleeping son on his way into the house. His excuses wear thin and Krishna is impetuous, naughty and unashamed of his behaviour. In conclusion, the poet asks Krishna, “You are a great incarnation of the divine; why do you deceive an innocent cowherd thus?”
Krishna is a popular protagonist at Nrityabharathi. Kathakali dancer Renjish Nair picks an episode from the dance drama Rukmini Swayamvaram . Rukmini is in love with Krishna, but her family is eager to marry her to another suitor. On the brink of a marriage she would rather avoid, she sends a messenger to his palace, asking him to come and take her for his wife. Nair performs this crucial meeting between Krishna and Rukmini’s messenger. Unlike Dutta Saikia, who will travel across the country to dance in Mumbai, Nair is from Dombivali, a suburb of Mumbai, known more for its proximity to amusement parks than for the rich crop of Kathakali dancers that quietly call the suburb home. Living here, Nair balances his interest in Kathakali with a day job at an accommodating corporate house that lets him have time off for his performances.
Modern touch
Timed to coincide with the Independence Day week, Nrityabharathi also has a patriotic ring to it. Besides solo performances by all the dancers, the finale of the festival is a group performance to a specially composed version of ‘ Vande Mataram ’. The choreography changes each year and what is interesting is that the dancers have a deadline, often creating and rehearsing the piece on the morning of the performance.
The author is an Odissi dancer and writer
Nrityabharathi,7.30 p.m., Ravindra Natya Mandir, Dadar. Entry is free. Call: 9673119602
