Prayog 4 by Nritarutya will feature three choreographies merging the classical forms like Bharatanatyam and Kathak with martial arts, yoga and aerial acts. Mayuri Upadhya, producer and artistic director of Nritarutya, tells Divya Kaushik that the production explores themes like isolation and karma
Classical forms like Bharatanatyam and Kathak will merge with folk movements, martial arts, yoga and aerial dance forms to present concepts of isolation, emotions and karma. Bangaluru-based dance company, Nritarutya, will present the fourth series of Prayog at Kamani Auditorium on April 4. “Prayog 4 is a unique and unconventional dance production using classical dance forms, martial arts and yogic discipline. It features three pieces titled Matsyaangnaa, Trishanku and Chakra, the first two are choreographed by Madhuri Upadhya and the third by Sathya BG,” informs Mayuri Upadhya, artistic director of Nritarutya and producer of Prayog 4.
Each choreography will be a visual spectacle with specialised moves, music and best of technology incorporated. Over a year-long of research has gone into making each choreography a masterpiece. “We aim at presenting classical dance forms with various forms to showcase our connect with roots. The style and moves are chosen as per the theme of the choreography. We do brainstorming sessions and engage in discussions to come up with themes and decide what forms should be merged together. Our journeys are inspired by Indian roots and cultural heritage — myths, folklore, literature and painting among others. This diversity and richness combined with our eclectic training in different Indian movement disciplines — classical dance, martial arts, yoga and folk dance — nourishes our art, gives it its unique rasa,” says Mayuri.
Matsyaangnaa and Trishanku incorporate Bharatanatyam movements in their execution whereas Chakra incorporates Bharatanatyam, Kathak and folk movements. The dancers have undergone training for over a year in Bharatanatyam, abhinaya, Carnatic rhythm, Kutthuvarise (a martial art form from Tamil Nadu), yoga and body conditioning and these help them understand and execute the concept of the dance pieces. The production is a melting pot of musicians, designers, dancers, visual artists, singers and actors amounting to more than 50 accomplished artistes of India.
“For us, dance is not the physical form, we look at the vocabulary of dance as a means to communicate different concepts related to life. For example, there is Trishanku, which is about heaven, earth and the in-between space. We have used aerial movements and suspension techniques to describe that space when the person is isolated. The piece seeks to explore two different time zones through a classical section designed by Guru Kiran Subramanyam and the modern times through contemporary dance. The dancer is restricted to a circular space on stage with a restless energy. Aerial silk cloth and specialised lighting will be used to give expressions of hell, heaven, the world in-between and the experiences hidden within them and the feeling of belonging nowhere. We want the audience to feel what the dancer is trying to convey. The theme depicts something that most of us go through in modern times. Most of us often feel that despite having every facility around us, we feel like we do not belong anywhere,” explains Mayuri.
About Matsyaanganaa, she elaborates, “Matsyaangnaa has been choreographed by Madhuri Upadhya, who has chosen mystical mermaids to depict the indulgence of six classifications or enemies which prevent a human from attaining Moksha. Featuring four women performers, this piece has music by Praveen D Rao and costumes by James Pereira. The concept is from the Vedic philosophy of Arishadvarga — the six emotions of desire and passion — kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada or ahankara (pride) and matsarya (jealousy) and her interpretation of life. The highlight of Matsyaangnaa will be the usage of a rigid prop to bring out fluidity of movements (a quality contrasting to the prop). The lighting used imparts a surreal effect.”
The final presentation Chakra has been choreographed by Sathya BG who works with belief system of “what goes around comes around”, making use of the ‘circle’ as a shape to interpret his movements. The concept of karma “what you give is what you get” comes within chakra or circle. “His visual for the piece is a never ending cycle of actions and its repercussions, explored through idioms of breath, life and movements. The combination of male and female energies, the black and the white, completing the circle of life is brought out using Bharatanatyam Adavus in a unique way. The dynamism of Chakra with its cyclic ‘de’ and ‘re’ construction of the Adavus and the rhythmic breath cycle, live music and a basketball prop makes for an interesting combination tracing the evolution of the dance grammar. Rhythm from Kerala music have been used in the dance form,” shares Mayuri.
