Amaizawas a unique blend of Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi. Six dancers came together to give an ode to their gurus and gods. By Utpal K Banerjee
Among all the recognised classical dances in India, Bharatanatyam has been strikingly “of the feminine, by the feminine, for the feminine.” With its genesis in the temples of the south, it was the devdasi — the temple-maiden ensuring life-long dedication — who remained Bharatanatyam’s sole torchbearer over centuries. For Odissi originating in the Eastern coasts, it was both the female mahari in the temple’s sacred sanctum sanctorum and the male gatipua in the outside natya mandapa of the temple who were the performers over the ages. As regards Kathak, the progression towards a vocabulary of dance — this time entirely by the males — has been evolutionary, moving from storytellers with jingling bells around their ankles to the full-fledged dancers, in keeping with the enthusiasm shown by the Muslim rulers in the princely Oudh and elsewhere. Induction of women into Kathak has been gently done only over the last few decades.
Yet one preoccupation has stood out, within the worshipping sanctums, in the outer public precincts, in the ornate courts and gardens of the medieval royalty and nobility. All classical dances were purposefully offered as visual hymns to the divinity — with the dancer’s body treated as an instrument of that offering. And while all the gods and goddesses could figure in the accompanying songs — for devotional prayers or for holy entertainment — the principal ones have remained the two revered deities associated with Nat (dance): the Natawar Krishna and the Nataraj Shiva. This has remarkably been the single consistent feature which strings together all classical dances of this land, totally unlike the classical ballet of the West.
So, when recently Amaiza, a terpsichorean troika was woven around Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak by Tapaswini Nav Sadhna and Pratidhwani, it had to begin with an ode: Shri Krishna Namah… in the form of a Pushpanjali. This was a colourful mélange of all six dancers hailing from three different forms: seldom seen performed on the same platform. Another endearing aspect was the debt of gratitude shown by the performers: to the gods, the gurus and the generous viewers, in that order. Indeed, there was also forgiveness sought from the Mother Earth: for striking her with footsteps all the time. What a sharp contrast to the more mundane Western ethos, where denying gravity altogether is a consistent trend in ballet’s leaps and pirouettes!
All three stylistic duets of the evening were more perhaps by coincidence than by design aptly around Shiva in many manifestations. The first was a pas de deux in Odissi on the male-female Shiva as Ardha Nareeshwara, where Sameer Kumar (groomed for long by Guru Kelu Charan and son Ratikant Mohapatras) teamed with the senior Odissi danseuse Nitisha Nanda (who also excelled in Egyptian classical belly dance). Instead of the androgynous myth in a single body, they shared the essence of duality:
Her ears’ ornaments shine with precious stones’ light,
His couture are hissing snakes keen for deadly bite,
He’s embracing her then, she’s embracing him now,
To Shiva I bow, to Shiva I bow…
The second was the Pancha Nadai Alarippu: as “blossoming” into various eye, neck, shoulder and arm movements, set to the five basic nadais (rhythmic cycles). Composed as a duet between Tanya Saxena and Apoorva Nambiar, both honed in Tanjavur style of Bharatanatyam in Ganesa Natyalaya, this item was followed by Shankara Srigiri in raga Hamsanandi composed by Swati Tirunal, describing Shiva’s cosmic dance: attended by devas and ganas, smearing ashes over the body, adorned with a garland of skulls and with a third eye blazing. The duet indeed personified Shiva to the viewers with vivid imagination.
The last duet was yet another Shiva Vandana, depicting the first shloka of Abhinaya Darpana by Nanadikeshvara. This was presented by the Kathak duo: a 21-year-old Anjali Munjal who excelled at her graduation in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and even a younger Sakshi Tandon pursuing the final year from that institution. They followed up with expressional sequences on nayika (heroines): abhisarika (the trysting one), khandita (the quarrelsome one) and vasaksajjika (the happily decorated one).
The finale was a blending of choreography to Charishnu: a rhythmic music composition by Madhup Mudgal. All six dancers traipsed at rapid pace — in solos, duets and groups — in fascinating formations, executing visual geometry in near perfect harmony. The spirit of the evening was best summed up by the eminent critic leela Venkataraman, “The togetherness of the forms was remarkable. Normally, Bahratanatyam performers don’t see the Kathak form and vice versa. To appear on the same platform and interact was an enriching process. Also, the accent on youth — for whom there is a decided dearth of platform for showcasing talent — is definitely most welcome.”