Ramli Ibrahim’s forthcoming dance recital will be based on the unconditional love of the gopis for Krishna. In a conversation with Utpal K Banerjee, the director reveals that the choreography will incorporate tandava and tantrik dance motifs of his guru
Hailing from the 1950s of Odisha’s Jayantika age — when the renowned gurus and scholars of the Odissi style were trying to give the incipient dance-form “a local habitation and a name” — Debaprasad Das was an independent master-artiste. With his proclivity for both tandava as well astantric tenets, he had fallen out of the mainstream conclave of teachers and eventually died a solitary Titan. It is entirely fortuitous that in the distant Malaysia, he would find an outstanding student of his art in Ramli Ibrahim, who would pioneer in that land, Debaprasad’s own special style.
Ramli has set dance-stages ablaze from Chennai to Paris for more than three decades. His rigorous training in ballet, modern and Indian classical dances reflects his multi-faceted approach as the artistic director of the Sutra Dance Theatre. Ramli has been instrumental in transforming the dance scenario in Malaysia by boldly charting new paths while Sutra strives to develop the breadth and depth of Malaysian arts through stimulating the country’s creative spirit of cross-cultural identity. There, cultures come together to forge a unique sutra (bond) that fosters a universal yet distinctively Malaysian interpretation of multiple arts.
Krishna, love Re-invented — to be presented by Sutra in Kolkata on June 11, Delhi on June 13 and Hyderabad on June 15 — explores love and its all-enduring romance, heralded by the pastoral god, Krishna and the milkmaids. This spring-time love-dalliance has enriched literature, visual and performing arts, especially Odissi. The dance explores the total identification of the devotee-duo (archetypal poet Jayadeva and wife Padmavati) in their mystical journey of love as well as total identification with the pastoral god, Krishna and his consort, Radha.
The programme begins with Mangalacharan — invocatory homage to Krishna, who is love personified. Next is Sthai in ragaVasanta, depicting Krishna’s amorous adventures with thegopis. Then comes Krishna tandava, where the vision of Krishna’s dance is alluringly in tribhanga (lyrical three bends of the body): performing tandava (vigorous) moves and intoxicating devotees and gopis alike. Mohane Deli Chahi (Oriya abhinaya) visualises Radha: My dear friend, can you possibly imagine the state I was in, when I encountered Krishna playing his divine fluteIJ
The other song is Nachante Range Sri Hari. As Krishna dances, serenading the gopis with his flute and as they accompany him playing other musical instruments, his presence enhances the beauty of the silvery forest, transforming the moon-lit night into a sublime, unearthly wonder. The penultimate item is Pallavi in raga Vajrakant, a pure dance with underlying vision of Krishna in the Raas (circle) dance. Krishna replicates himself and, enchantingly, there is more than one Krishna surrounded bygopis as they dance with abandon. The finale is aptly with Moksha — a dance of joy and release.
Excerpts from an interview
love has always been eternal, ethereal. What is your take on the “re-invention”IJ
I think love — like food — has always been there. But, how we perceive it now as this pristine and eternal part of our highest outpouring in relation with our sustenance as civilised human beings in this spaceship earth, has evolved over centuries. The Bhakti Movement was a revolution with regards to how we conceive love and how the love of the universal spirit was transformed and sublimated into this unconditional and highest love that a human being can express for a godhead, who has become the ‘lover’ incarnate. This was the ‘re-invention’ we are referring to, which had happened to the idea of ‘Krishna consciousness’ which revolutionised how the world now views love as a permeation of shringara bhakti yoga.
Krishna is an iconic godhead. What do you find so special about him in loveIJ
It’s a totally Dionysian phenomenon. like the spirit of Sufism and the songs of Baul, this kind of love has no rules and is unconditional. The love of the gopi was the highest form of love for it did not seek mere rewards. The gopis’ love for Krishna existed as an end to itself. It was totally unselfish and had no other agendas.
In your choreography, have you used tantric motifs of your guru Debaprasad DasIJ
Though we made initial reference to Jagannath (Krishna is Jagannath in Odisha) which, like the Debaprasad school of Odissi, has ultimately tantric overtones, we have not made overt and conscious tantric referencing in this production as we did in Vision of Forever. Krishna, love Re-invented is a more joyous production and does not have the ‘darker’ symbolic gestures and symbols used in our previous Shaivite works. It explores love, and the romance of love, of the pastoral God, Krishna and the gopis. This springtime love-dalliance has enriched literature, visual and performing art especially Odissi. Krishna, love Re-invented explores the total identification of the couple-devotee (archetype of poet Jayadeva and his wife, Padmavati) in their erotico-mystical journey of love and total identification with Krishna and Radha.
How do you find receptivity and acceptability of Odissi in Malaysia, so far from OdishaIJ
Odissi has a strong profile in Malaysia now. Sutra, synonymous with Odissi, is considered a mainstream art in Malaysia. We survive and remain relevant mainly because we give our audience excellent and compelling pieces of work. Our audience, like Sutra dancers, are multi-racial and Sutra’s existence represent a unique and thriving cross-cultural phenomenon. In this day and age of conservatism and extremism, which is also sweeping Malaysia (and the talk of introducing hudud law is rampant), our existence is a courageous symbol of a liberal Malaysia.