Dance Nouveau

Mangalacharan,a style of Odissi dance,is essentially an ode to the Goddess. But in Odissi exponent Jhelum Paranjape’s latest performance,it is a tribute to the nation. “In an age when contemporariness has invaded every sphere of life,it should not be surprising to see the contemporary wave tide over this style of dance too. We will perform to Vande Mataram and spread the message of harmony,” she says,adding that the Mangalacharan is only one part of her show,Anubhuti —the sublime realisation of tradition.

For the December 3 performance at the NCPA Experimental Theatre,Jhelum will dance with 12 other artistes from Smitalay,the school she set up in 1986 in the memory of her friend and actor Smita Patil. “We will start with a group performance followed by Batunritya,exclusively choreographed for male dancers by Padmavibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra,the doyen of Odissi dance. Batunritya depicts the tandav aspects of Odissi,” points out Jhelum,who has performed extensively in India and abroad.

“After this,there will be the Pallavi performed by the female dancers,showcasing the lasya aspects of Odissi. One piece will have me performing solo to an Ashtapadi poem from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda and another will be a group performance by my students narrating the love between Radha and Krishna,” she says.

The show will end with Moksha,a fast-paced rhythm-driven performance that represents the soul becoming one with the Almighty.