Vigour and Valour

THE National Centre for Performing Arts will witness an unusual and rare form of dance performance on Thursday. Mayurbhanj Chhau — an ancient form of martial dance from Orissa that derives from subjects such as martial craft,history,mythology and stylised gaits of birds and animals — will be contemporised at the show titled “Roots” by Santosh Nair and Sadhya Unit of Performing Arts.

The show’s choreographer is Nair,a Kathakali dancer. According to him,the show’s title is inspired by the fact that Indians have very strong cultural and traditional roots. The Delhi-based choreographer says that he has been practicing the Chhau for years. “It is a very beautiful dance with folk and martial forms and derives from many elements of the Orissa culture,” says Nair. The show will open with dance of the Nataraja and the grandeur of Lord Shiva. The show will also see the traditional warrior dance of Yodha,a dance with the sword and shield. “We will perform six to seven pieces,some solo and others group acts.These are very traditional and the movements are derived from Chhau,but it is contemporised through innovative music pieces that we had composed especially for the show,” Nair says.