<p>A conglomeration of traditional and contemporary dance by young choreographers was showcased at ‘Neworks!!’ held at Alliance Francaise recently.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The evening started with a film about the changing nature of dance. It talked about dance from the period of Uday Shankar and Ram Gopal, to how it is now. It also showcased a few of the top artistes and dance groups in the country.<br /><br />The event progressed to kathak recitals by Pooja and Tushar Bhatt from the dance group ‘Pooja Tushar Dance Company’. The sequence started with shanta karan, a shloka on Lord Vishnu, and the performance moved on to the ‘Reflection’, set to teen taal, a 16-beat piece. The pieces showcased a high level of energy with twirls, thumps and fast movements that awed the audience. <br /><br />The performance then moved on to pieces by the youth wing of Nritarutya, an Indian contemporary dance company. This section started with Namaskar, which was a celebration in movement. <br /><br /> Taking the technique of bharatanatyam, the structure and pattern of the piece was set to Arabic music. The next piece Manmatha interpreted mythology in a modern <br />context journeying with the god of love.<br /><br /> ‘Wildflower’, a piece which explores the concept of whether existence is by choice or by chance, used quick, quirky movements. Each piece was a unique experience in itself, surprising the audience with the different explorative steps.<br /><br />Tushar Bhatt says, “This experience taught us how to stay in the framework and norms of kathak , while exploring oneself and different movements to make each sequence unique.”<br /><br />Mayuri Upadhya, artistic director of Nritarutya, adds, “Such platforms should be conceptualised and encouraged more so as to voice constructive criticism and <br />create an experience of when the audience also becomes involved in the performance.”</p>
<p>A conglomeration of traditional and contemporary dance by young choreographers was showcased at ‘Neworks!!’ held at Alliance Francaise recently.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The evening started with a film about the changing nature of dance. It talked about dance from the period of Uday Shankar and Ram Gopal, to how it is now. It also showcased a few of the top artistes and dance groups in the country.<br /><br />The event progressed to kathak recitals by Pooja and Tushar Bhatt from the dance group ‘Pooja Tushar Dance Company’. The sequence started with shanta karan, a shloka on Lord Vishnu, and the performance moved on to the ‘Reflection’, set to teen taal, a 16-beat piece. The pieces showcased a high level of energy with twirls, thumps and fast movements that awed the audience. <br /><br />The performance then moved on to pieces by the youth wing of Nritarutya, an Indian contemporary dance company. This section started with Namaskar, which was a celebration in movement. <br /><br /> Taking the technique of bharatanatyam, the structure and pattern of the piece was set to Arabic music. The next piece Manmatha interpreted mythology in a modern <br />context journeying with the god of love.<br /><br /> ‘Wildflower’, a piece which explores the concept of whether existence is by choice or by chance, used quick, quirky movements. Each piece was a unique experience in itself, surprising the audience with the different explorative steps.<br /><br />Tushar Bhatt says, “This experience taught us how to stay in the framework and norms of kathak , while exploring oneself and different movements to make each sequence unique.”<br /><br />Mayuri Upadhya, artistic director of Nritarutya, adds, “Such platforms should be conceptualised and encouraged more so as to voice constructive criticism and <br />create an experience of when the audience also becomes involved in the performance.”</p>
