A rare visual treat

The graduation ceremony of the ninth batch of Attakkalari’s flagship professional education programme — ‘Diploma in Movement Arts and Mixed Media’ — was held recently. It was one of those programmes that will be cherished for a long time to come. A houseful, the spectators at JSS Auditorium were in for a visual treat as the graduating students showcased a variety of performances.

‘Pop and thumps’, perfect ‘air splits and twists’; one could feel the jolt in the bones while gazing at their flexibility. The young dancers performed pieces from various dance styles like bharat­anatyam, ‘kalaripayattu’ and contemporary forms (which was also fused with ballet and other forms).

Choreographed by masters in the field, the programme had items that reflected various aspects of the society. With performers dressed in different cuts of white, one of the performances reflected on the act of gifting. Another one flaunted intricate moves in martial arts and the show ended with a piece ‘Let’s get zombie’ choreographed by Ramkumar. Unlike conventional dance performances, there was no uniformity in how they looked or what they wore. But the chemistry between each of the 25 dancers was astonishing and breathtaking. They all came together in tune, despite their varied backgrounds. The brilliant choreography of varying genres was testimony to the hard work and dedication of the students. Following the performances, the chief guest for the evening, actor-director Ramesh Aravind, handed over the diploma certificates to the graduating students.

Among the gathering present were parents of graduating students and students from various other colleges, who encouraged the performers enthusiastically with hoots and whistles.

Chidambaram, one of the viewers, said, “I do not understand the aesthetics of the art but visually it was very appealing.” Among the student crowd, Harsha, of Surana College, said, “It has been an interesting evening. Their performances are outstanding and their skills amazing!”