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Powerful depictions through dance

Striking Performances
Last Updated 25 June 2012, 14:05 IST

An odissi dance recital performed by ten dancers was staged as a part of the ‘Nrityantara Dance Festival’ recently held at Seva Sadan.

Perfectly dressed for the programme, Madhulita Mohapatra and her troupe captured everyone’s attention by performing finest the odissi dance steps based on strong theme.

The event was divide into three segments; the first segment, Dhyaye Subarna Barna, was an invocation dance by Anjali, Sonalika, Meghna and Chandrika.

The dancers praised goddess Durga by describing her beauty and indicated that she represents the five element of the universe — water, air, fire, sky and earth. It also showed the strength of a woman.

The next performance was on the theme Yahi Madhava. It represented the love between Radha and Krishna. Radha eagerly waits for Krishna to come as he promised to spend the whole night with her. But when he arrives the next morning, his body bore prominent love bites.

Radha is furious because of this and tells him to go away. Krishna tries to console her but she remains adamant. Finally, to her disbelief, he leaves her and Radha is heartbroken. The dancers represented this story in an emotional way. Their expressions and footwork were commendable.

 This final performance was par excellence. It depicted the plight of the people during a severe cyclone and how this incident destroyed their lives. The performance showed the cycle of creation and destruction seen through the eyes of a young girl.

As she plays with her friends, she is thrilled by the arrival of rain. But her joy soon gives way to horror and tragedy, as furious cyclonic winds and torrential rains unleash the wrath of nature. Thus begins a battle of supremacy lead by the might of wind and water. Houses are wiped away as the ocean level rises, leaving nothing but death and destruction all around. When the cyclone subsides, an eerie calm prevails. It seems that the world has come to an end.

The audience applauded the final performance. Sharath, who had come to watch the odissi dance, says, “I liked all the performances; but the performance on Odisha cyclone was mind-blowing. It is nice to see that such incidents can be depicted through classical dance and remind the audience about the suffering of people then.”

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(Published 25 June 2012, 14:05 IST)

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