The cultural flavours of Jharkhand in 25 minutes—that is the crux of the cultural fiesta in store for President Pranab Mukherjee when he arrives at Ranchi on Monday.
And bringing it to life with their electrifying performances is a motley group of performers from various parts of the State, who have come together under the Kalamandir umbrella.
Ranging in age from 17 to 45 and professions from students and teachers to clerks and odd-jobbers, what binds them is their dedication to their art form and the zeal to spread its beauty beyond all borders.
And for many of them, this opportunity to perform before the President of India in their own State is the chance of a lifetime. ‘We are extremely proud to be a part of this event. Although we have performed at various international events and before many dignitaries of the State like the Chief Minister at functions in Ranchi, dancing at the Raj Bhawan and that too, for the President is a great feeling,’ said Azhar Ali, member of a Karlsa dance team.
‘Our dance symbolises unity, purity and auspicious beginning, and this is what we'll portray here,’ added his colleague Sushma Nag. A school teacher by profession, Nag and her group has travelled to forums all over India with their dance; but this is their first performance before the President of India. ‘This beats even performing at the Wagah border!’ said Nag, visibly thrilled.
‘I have been dancing since Class five and have visited Delhi, Chennai etc. but this is the best,’ quipped an excited Reshma Kumari, 17, the youngest member of the troupe. A student of Class 11 at the government girls' school in Bharno, Gumla, she balances dance practice on weekends and her studies with the same confidence as the Kalsa on her head while dancing. Besides Reshma, there are 6 college students in the group.
And despite the complexity of encapsulating the vibrancy of Jharkhand's socio-cultural milieu in just 25 minutes, even the veteran performers of the group are enthused by the special stage and VVIP audience.
‘I have performed before for President Pratibha Patil in Delhi. But this is a chance to welcome the President into our home, our land and show him a slice of our traditions,’ said Subodh Pramanik,a senior Paika artiste. ‘We will get to see the President from close quarters; that in itself is a big bonus,’ added Ghasiram Mahto, a Paika artiste for the last 20 years.
Pride aside, it has been a tough week of intense practice, especially with regard to the time limit. Since most of these dances are ritualistic, they do not normally have a fixed duration. Hence the challenge was twofold. ‘ We had to make it collectively enjoyable, incorporating as many forms as possible and also re-orient it according to the stage,’ said Kalamandir's Amitabh Ghosh. ‘These dances are normally performed within a circle with the village audience surrounding the dancers. Here the stage is rectangular and only a 120-degree curve is possible. So we had to restyle the staging aspect from circular to straight. Once this happened, the dances transitioned smoothly from one to the next,’ he added.
As for the reason behind including 10 dances in 25 minutes, ‘Doing one dance becomes an isolated item, so we decided to showcase the entire gamut of seasons, melodies, beats and flavours of Jharkhand. The idea was also to give these performers from far-away Ichagarh, Sonahatu, Bharno, Dhalbhum, Sahebganj, etc, a major forum to display their art. Many of them have performed worldwide, but not in their own state-capital, as Ranchi-based troupes get those chances. So these 'first-timers' also have a point to prove through their dance,’ said Ghosh.
As for nerves, Sarpaha dancer Jeetrai Kisku had a categorical reply. ‘This is the day our devotion to our traditional arts will pay off, finally. And we are confident of pulling it off. Not nervous.’