Giving form to abstract emotions

The first dancer on stage was Aruna Mohanty and her group who performed an elaborate odissi dance recital explaining the various nuances of the form. The performance began with Mangalacharan, an expressional piece offering prayer to Lord Jagannath, Lord Ganesh and other deities. In this item, the dancer sought the blessings of the Gods, the gurus and the best wishes of the audience for an auspicious beginning. This dance was marked with sculptural poses. The different passages in the song had an elaborate rhythmic pattern. Another aspect that formed a part of the repertoire was pallavi. Based on a raaga which is soft, lilting and melodious, it was a pure dance item with graceful movements.

Abhinaya was an expressional dance. Here the songs were interpreted with hand mudras and facial expressions depicting the emotions. The songs were mostly written in Sanskrit and Oriya. The last and an important part of the dance repertoire was mokshayanata based on the belief that all human activities tend towards Moksha, meaning ‘salvation’. This was a fast-paced rhythmic dance, which concluded the first part of the programme.

The odissi recital set the pace for the rest of the evening which was perfectly complemented by the next performance.

The second sequence was a contemporary kathak dance. When dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas and group from Drishtikon Dance Foundation took the stage, it was another visual treat for the audience. The rhythmic music and lights had perfect effect on the mood of the audience. This group presented a
contemporary kathak performance called ‘Unchartered seas’.

In this one and a half hours dance recital, the dancers depicted the search for the intangible.

 According to Aditi, “This search is the essence of this dance production. It is the search for that one sublime thing, be it God, truth, beauty, love or freedom.” There were various sections to this performance, but in its entirety the dance tried to capture the essence of
the search.

 In most of the pieces, there was an attempt to transform poetry into images or emotions.

The audience too thoroughly enjoyed this show. Said Kulzum, a kathak student, “I enjoyed both the dances very much. The artistes were at their best at all times.
Watching a dancer like Aditi Mangaldas perform was an education in itself for me.”