Rare imagery, sensitive projection

Aruna Mohanty's disciples

Dance lovers enjoyed a treat at the recently concluded Konark Festival of Dance.

The culture of Manipur is deep rooted, where both the ancient pre-Vaishnavite and the medieval Vaishnavite culture co-exist. Wearing traditional phaneks and Innaphis, the repertory members of the Jawaharlal Manipur Dance Academy presented pre-Vaishnavite Lai Haroaba, which is a recollection of stories about the origin of the universe. Some of the exceptional choreographers of the country were given a platform in the open-air auditorium at the Konark Festival of Dance.

The lilting tune of the Pena, added to the rhythmic beating of the Pung, kartal and manjira lent a hand to the audience to experience heavenly bliss. The intricate and complex taala system sank into one’s soul. The Maiba and the Maibei retold, in short, the story of the beginning of the earth, leading one to the mysteries of creation and the beliefs of the Manipuri people, even before the impact of the Bhakti movement could reach Manipur.

Pung Cholom, with its rhythms and cross-rhythms, forms an integral part of Natasankirtana music and traditional Manipuri dance, performed with whirls and leaps. At the same time there is beating the drum in rhythms of complex nature, which were spontaneously applauded. This apart, Dhol Dholak Cholom is played with great gusto during Yaosang or Holi as it ushers in the joy that is felt during the festival of colours. Tanum, which is akin to tillana, displayed the different Manipuri taala pattern with graceful movement.

With the performance of Vasanta Ras, the troupe of JNMDA connected with 18th Century Vaishnav Bhav showcasing the aesthetic beauty of the dance of the gopis and Krishna on the full-moon night of Chaitra, signifying the union of the atma and the paramatma.

A set of meticulously trained dancers, disciples of Nrityacharya Jatin Goswami adorned the open-air-stage. It must have been a great evening for son Prabhakar Goswami, with his father Jatin Goswami, a Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, conducting his newly created “Chanda Lila” intricately woven with all the rhythm patterns used in Sattriya style.

In a duet with Lima Das, Prabhakar Goswami displayed the hastas, footwork and stances of Sattriya dance through stories from Krishna Leela. Sreyaspriya Goswami proved her self in Chali Nritya which is in Lasya style. The components of this ‘Naas’ were Ramdani which is a pure dance and Geetor Naas, which is expressional. Sattriya Nritya with its origin in the Sattras naturally deals with all that is devotional.

The last piece Navadha Bhakti – the nine steps to devotion explained as Sravana-listening, Kirtana – saw ecstatic group singing, Smarana – remembering Vishnu, Pada Sevana – rendering service, Archana – praying, Vandana – paying homage, and Dasya – servitude was explained through Sattriya dance in group. Khol played by Khus Mahanta and the vocal rendition of Kavita Talukdar and Khirod Bora spread a devotional ambience.

Rajasree Sirke and group’s presentation of Surya Upasana, Pancha Mahabhoota and Anandam Krishna was the ultimate in the festival this year. She and her group commenced after genuflecting to Surya, praising him as a friend and a guide, and the one who bestows beauty, nourishes, destroys diseases, creates, inspires, purifies and illuminates the world with radiance, in the tradition of Kathakars. She and her dancers used every limb and muscle to create a stunning visual impact. Dancers entered and left the stage in a continuous flow delineating most subtly Panchabhuta.

All the five elements were described with not a jarring effect on the senses. Sitting postures of the Baithaki style along with the repetition of Kathak bols could not go unappreciated. Anandam Krishna used traditional songs to portray the many feats of Krishna. The joy and laughter of the gopis was mesmerizing.

Odissi Nrutya Mandal, Cuttack made an impressive entry from behind the stage, all in a cluster in the chariot formation of Sun god, illuminated with radiant and appropriate light, chanting Surya mantra all the way. Both the front space and the back space of the stage made up the performance area. Shankaravarnam Pallavi was danced by the blue costumed maidens in pristine Odissi style. Guru Kelucharan, the doyen of Odissi had time and again emphasised that the breaking up of the body in three opposite units in tribhangi should be refined and subtle so as not to hamper its aesthetic beauty. Dasam Mahavidya performed was spectacular. The 10 manifestations of Devi have always fascinated dance choreographers.

Aruna Mohanty, a fitting disciple of the late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, of Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar, rewarded the audience with Gatha Odissi, a saga of the journey of Odishi dance, which was the sacred offering of a devotee. Tracing its source from the dance of the Maharis and Gotipuas; narrating its transformation from Shaivite tradition to Vaishnavite tradition later on, she made the dancing maidens carved on the walls of Konark temple come alive by night, watched spell-bound by the art loving rasikas. In Prakriti-Purusha of the Shaivite tradition of the Maharis, Aruna Mohanty choreographed a visually delightful story with the story of the presence of six males on stage with six different poses of Shiva. These were joined by six females in the role of Parvathy forming six pairs. Parvathy is the cosmos and Shiva, the epitome of bliss, destroying to create. In Krishna Saranam, the choreographer divided the life of Krishna into four parts, with each part choreographed in a refined manner. The festival ended on a happy note.