It is the norm (almost) in our home that I go alone for Indian classical performances, but MrM surprised me by saying he would come. He had seen an Odissi show last year and loved it, so he knew he would enjoy himself. Sadly, our babysitter wasn't available so I found myself driving to the venue alone thinking "If the show isn't that good, I'm going back home during the interval". Ha!
Just reading the show details at the door, I knew I had to stay for the piece after the intermission. As the show started, it was clear there was no way I would leave early. Odissi is one of my most favorite classical dance forms from India. The movements are lyrical and sensuous. There is quiet strength on display in each pose the dancers hold. In style, I find it closest to Bharatnatyam, but it is more fluid and poetic in its range of movement. A treat for the eyes!
There were 5 dancers, all women, and the opening and closing pieces were performed by all 5. Each piece was prefaced by a couplet or poem translated from Hindu texts, which formed the theme of that dance. Lets get to my favorite piece "Vibhakta - The Division" right away: In Hindu mythology, there exists a being called the Ardhanaareshwara. The Ardhanaareshwar is a depiction of Lord Shiva and world of intertwined opposites we live in. This being is half man, half woman, both halves living in symphony, distinct as well as blended. The preface poem:
Her body is the color of a champa blossom,
his is like camphor;
her body is sprinkled with musk-vermillion powder,
his is smeared with the ash of funeral pyres;
she is adorned with anklets and bracelets of gold,
he wears a multitude of glistening snakes;
she wears a garland of mandaar flowers,
he wears a garland of skulls;
her hair is dark like monsoon clouds,
his matted locks flash with lightening;
her dance creates the universe,
his tandava dissolves everything;
I bow to the mother of the universe;
I bow to the father of the universe;
Om Namah Shivaa, Om Namah Shivah.
his is like camphor;
her body is sprinkled with musk-vermillion powder,
his is smeared with the ash of funeral pyres;
she is adorned with anklets and bracelets of gold,
he wears a multitude of glistening snakes;
she wears a garland of mandaar flowers,
he wears a garland of skulls;
her hair is dark like monsoon clouds,
his matted locks flash with lightening;
her dance creates the universe,
his tandava dissolves everything;
I bow to the mother of the universe;
I bow to the father of the universe;
Om Namah Shivaa, Om Namah Shivah.
- Ardhanaareshwara Stotra by Adi Shankara
The dance was performed by two women, one playing Lord Shiva and one playing Goddess Parvati. The curtains lifted to the two of them aligned perfectly with each other, only their arms held at different positions giving away that there were two people on stage. From here, the dancers led us through the emotions of the poem, with opposites contrasting and blending with each other. Calm and fury, grace and power, flowers and ash. The dancers were two constantly evolving non-halves of a whole, sometimes joined at the hip, sometimes at their fingertips, and sometimes simply by the sliver of air between them that was radiant with the emotions they brought to life. As they danced with and for each other, they were sometimes a reflection of the other and sometimes the dynamic opposite. They moved from being at the furthest corners of the stage to being intertwined with each other, shining with gracefulness all the time. This dance blew my mind away. I would go back to see it any day, any time. The performance concluded with a dynamic closing piece set to a non-classical tribal rhythm which would normally make me frown but the sheer athleticism and beauty of the choreography made sure I walked out feeling like I was floating on clouds.
Heavy kudos to Nrithyagram dance village in India for this show, and to Protima Gauri for starting Nrityagram. Streaking in India was the least of her achievements in her short life.
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