Many sides of an act

Easy transition

A solo bharatanatyam ballet, Yudh, was presented by Delhi-based danseuse Savitha Sastry, at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall recently. The stunning act was an
interesting amalgamation of dance, lights and music and moved the audience
to tears.

The ballet was choreographed and conceptualised by Savitha. As it was a solo act, the protagonist slipped from one character to another and the perspective shifted from divine to satanic characters. The performance was divided into nine scenes and the plot revolved around a young girl, Pavithra, who was kidnapped by the Satan when she was a child.

The show opened with ‘The dance of war’, which was a war between the God’s army and Satan’s forces. In the second scene,  Pavithra is accosted by a stranger and kidnapped. In the next scene, the dancer shows the misery of Pavithra’s parents. Savitha kept on shifting focus from the Satan to the humans showing different
perspectives.

Her portrayal of Pavithra, who was under the influence of the Satan, was strong and convincing. The transitions were smooth and marked by a change in music. The brilliant use of lights added to the beauty of the performance. Savitha’s graceful moves and beautiful choreography was appreciated by the audience. Though it was a solo act, the dancer essayed every character with detail and precision.

Harsha K, who was there at the show, says that she was amazed by how the dancer pulled off the show single-handedly. “I liked the concept — she was all alone on stage but it never felt like there only one person there. She managed the show very well and introduced every character in a different manner, it was easy to follow and yet, very unique,” she says.

The ballet was not just about dance –– there was a fair deal of acting involved in it. Malini Raman, who had come to see the show, felt that Savitha had done a good job. “She has done wonders with bharatanatyam. Solo acts are becoming popular now and I am glad that she chose an Indian classical dance and not anything contemporary. Many youngsters had come to see the show since it is a ballet. It is a good way to promote this art form,” she notes.