Members of Omkar, a dance troupe that performed in the City last week, proved through their performance that different dance forms cannot be mixed but can be highlighted individually and knit together.

“Kathak and Flamenco are two styles that have so much in common — in terms of footwork. If styles such as these are brought together and worked upon in terms of presentation, it would work beautifully,” reasons Kirti Ramgopal, the lead dancer of Omkar. And the troupe did just that and they did well to amalgamate different dance forms yet retaining the originality. There was no clash of any sort.

There was energy, vibrancy and very sharp movements in every piece that the Omkar performed at the 11th East West Music and Dance Encounter–2008 at the Alliance Francaise.

The dancers have been trained in Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu. “This training is basically to broaden our outlook in terms of understanding the different classical dance forms, trying to understand the similarities, differences and how the nuances of one style can be adapted into another style in a subtle way," says Kirti.

The team is also trained in Kalaripayattu for more body control. The first piece — in Bharatanatyam — was a medium paced number that highlights both Nritta of Bharatanatyam and Abhinaya, 'Tarana', highlights the beauty of Kathak in terms of 'chakars' and footwork which is the essence of Kathak.

The performance began with Tarana which is complex and fast paced. It is a combination of intricate footwork and scintillating movements that builds in tempo toward the end. This was followed by Basanth, meaning 'spring' which ushers in colour. The dance was graceful like that of a peacock.

Jugalbandi, another dance, was inspired by the experiment in musical form by Taufiq Qureshi, Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan.

To the tune and rhythm of 'Rhydhun', the dancers performed a confluence of two forms of dance from the North and South, jugalbandi of Kathak and Bharatanatyam. "All dance forms are beautiful and have similarities and differences. Care has to be taken to not to 'mix' the forms but to highlight the beauty individually and together. For example, the pieces are traditional because they are from the Bharatanatyam or Kathak repertoire. The Jugalbandi is inspired by the work of the great maestros and shows how Kathak and Bharatanatyam technique can come together. 'Shringara' on the other hand is an experiment with different music,” explains Kirti.

It was an enriching evening just to watch the young talented dancers perform with so much of commitment, verve and rhythm. “Dance is an expression and celebration in itself. As we observe different cultures, we have begun to value our culture more because of the diversity and depth. We have learnt to enjoy our dancing," says Kirti who makes sure she alters presentation and style to suit the tastes of the changing audience.