A dance that appealed to all

After performing in different cities across the country over the last few months, the team of Na maargam, a contemporary dance show, was in the City recently and presented a beautiful show for the dance lovers here at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall.

Curated by dancer Krithika Subramaniam, the dance was held as part of the ‘Samanvay Art Festival’ and featured some talented performers like KB, Madusudhan,
Shrinaath KR, Rajesh Chenthy, Krithika, Shurajit, Vijayanthi and Satya Priya.
A creative concept that appealed to all, it had elaborate dance pieces along with evocative poetic interludes.

There was an amalgamation of different styles of dance and the show could not be categorised under one particular genre. “This is my own vision and I have challenged the existing format of presentation, perception of the audience and critical
review. I have reinvented the whole concept as a live collage of dance and theatre set against the backdrop of cinema. The show is complemented by a highly innovative and original soundscape created on a 16 track digital technology. It is enhanced by a succinct voice-over in English to take the audience through the nuances of the concept,” said Krithika Subramaniam.

Musicians performed traditional Carnatic and semi-classical extempore rendering lengthy pieces in a chant, recitation and emotive speech. The instrumental music was enhanced by the acoustics which had several layers. The tracks were original and quite impressive and the audience appreciated the efforts put in by the team of dancers and musicians.

“I loved their act. It was very different and unlike the ones we see in a classical dance festival. The best part of this act was how original it was. From choreography to music, everything stood out. I liked the way they began the show. It was elaborate and yet did not turn boring or monotonous,” said Swathi, who attended the programme.

The festival also saw many different dance forms like a Kuchipudi Nrutya Nataka presented by the members of Narthanashaala and bharatanatyam by Na maargam Dance Company. Beautiful choreography and expressions made the programme a success.

Abhineet, a young dancer, who attended the show, said that he learnt a lot from the artistes. “Performing in a packed hall is a different ballgame altogether. I try to attend these shows so that I can learn from the artistes who perform here,” he said.