In Kali’s Footsteps

It was first presented at the Mysore palace in 2005 on the request of the erstwhile royal family of Mysore,the Wadiyars. Six years later,Mayuri Upadhya’s contemporary dance piece,titled Kali,is set to be presented in Delhi for the first time this evening. The performance is a part of Prayog,a dance festival,which has previously been held in Kerala,Chennai,Mumbai,Lahore and the US among others.

Eight dancers will present “an ode in movement” to goddess Bhadrakali,depicting her nine avatars. “It is the dance of death,where death is seen as a celebration. The dance is designed visualising the dark night. There is a recurring image of a bird as a messenger to another world and the haunting melody adds to the dark mood,” says Upadhya,who is the artistic director of the Bangalore-based group Nritarutya. The piece incorporates Bharatanatyam with contemporary moves.

The group’s performance will begin with Mars,a technical piece on the dimensions that make up a man,and conclude with Ardha Nareshwar that is inspired by the manifestation of Shiva as embodying both male and female power. The performance will take place at Kamani

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