Dancers Neelava Sen and Prachi Sathi’s out-of-the-box choreography

Bharatnatyam dancer Neelava Sen performing ‘Antheos’. Photo Credit: Raveendran R

The outdoor space of heritage property Kingsley provided a great ambiance for two creative presentations as part of Kanakavalli’s ‘Rasa Margazhi Edith’ festival. This event is being organized on four Fridays in collaboration with Aalap.

An introspective personal journey to find the meaning of life was the core concept of ‘Antheos’, the solo debut of young dancer Nilva Sen. Inspired by Baul players and Sufi saints, the performance featured an eclectic mix of sounds, suited to the ideas. Expressed by the dancer.

The dancer, sitting under a spotlight with one hand raised, depicted the decline of life. Memories of the past become fresh and he sets out on a quest to find God.

Neelava Sen brought an introspective presentation. Photo Credit: Raveendran R

His search leads him to open many doors, each of which reveals different moments and experiences of his life on both the physical and spiritual levels. It all came with conviction in his portrayal. ‘Dunde Re Dunde Andhiara’ was intense.

However, the door opening was a recurring depiction. There should have been other ways of showing this, of negating the monotony. The white dress was working well, but the fabric was hindering movement.

‘When Walls Dance’ by Prachi Sathi Photo Credit: M. Murthy

Graphic video presentations have begun to be used in Bharatanatyam performances. Often they distract from dancing.

But both the mediums can work in harmony, was highlighted when Mumbai-based Prachi Sathi, taking inspiration from Warli painting, collaborated with animation filmmaker Upasana Nattoji Rao to present ‘When Walls Dance’.

Prachi had developed the story of a young girl Champa and planting a tree to celebrate her birth. Caught in the vagaries of urban development, the sapling and Champa grow together until the tree eventually falls.

Introducing the theme with cheerful Alarippu, the dancer led us through subsequent sequences, with interesting sections reinforced by pictures. In the scene where Champa gets married, the dancer’s act was enriched with animated Worli stick figures of people, dancers and musicians, creating an aura of celebration.

Prachi had collaborated with animation filmmaker Upasana Nattoji Rao. Photo Credit: M. Murthy

But, somewhere along the way, imagination took priority over story. When the girl has to move away after marriage, the possibility of exploring a deeper relationship between the tree and the girl and the loss she faces when the tree is cut down are not deeply explored.

The terracotta red background was a perfect canvas to recreate the projected white lines. The dance-savvy filmmaker weaved the scenes effortlessly. The dancer and the filmmaker should be appreciated for highlighting the beauty of Warli painting, without removing any context. Lighting design was by Kirti Kumar, while music composition and composition was by Sachin Chaudhary and Ayan Banerjee.