Sequences from life

A conglomeration of traditional and contemporary dance by young choreographers was showcased at ‘Neworks!!’ held at Alliance Francaise recently.

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.

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.

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.

   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
context journeying with the god of love.

   ‘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.

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.”

Mayuri Upadhya, artistic director of Nritarutya, adds, “Such platforms should be conceptualised and encouraged more so as to voice constructive criticism and
create an experience of when the audience also becomes involved in the performance.”