Dancers Nilava Sen and Prachi Saathi’s out-of-the-box choreographies

Bharatanatyam dancer Nilava Sen presenting ‘Entheos’ | Photo Credit: RAVINDRAN R

The outdoor space of the heritage property Kingsley provided a nice ambiance for two creative presentations as part of Kanakavalli’s ‘Rasa Margazhi Edit’ festival. The event is being held across four Fridays, in collaboration with Aalaap.

An introspective personal journey to find the meaning of life was the core concept of ‘Entheos’, the solo debut of young dancer Nilava Sen. Inspired by Baul minstrels and Sufi saints, the performance had an eclectic mix of sounds, adapted to the ideas being expressed by the dancer.

Seated under a spotlight with one arm raised, the dancer depicted a life ebbing. Past memories flood in, and he embarks on a quest to find god.

Nilava Sen came up with an introspective presentation. Photo Credit: RAVINDRAN R

His search leads him on to opening many doors, each revealing different moments and experiences from his life, both at the physical and spiritual level. It all came through with conviction in his portrayal. ‘Doonde re doonde andhiyara’ was intense.

However, the opening of doors was a recurring depiction. There should have been more ways to show it, to negate monotony. The white costume worked well, but the drape hindered movement.

‘When Walls Dance’ by Prachi Saathi | Photo Credit: M.MOORTHY

Bharatanatyam performances have begun to use graphic video presentations. Most often, they tend to divert attention from the dance.

But the two mediums can work homogeneously was highlighted when Mumbai-based Prachi Saathi, drawing inspiration from Warli paintings, teamed up with animation film maker Upasana Nattoji Rao, to present ‘When Walls Dance’.

Prachi had developed a storyline of a young girl Champa and the planting of a sapling to celebrate her birth. The sapling and Champa grow alongside until the tree finally falls, caught in the vagaries of urban development.

Introducing the theme with a joyous alarippu, the dancer led us through the later sequences, with interesting segments strengthened by the paintings. In the scene where Champa gets married, the dancer’s abhinaya was enriched by the animated Warli stick figures of people, dancers and musicians, creating an aura of festivity.

Prachi had collaborated with animation film maker Upasana Nattoji Rao. Photo Credit: M.MOORTHY

But, somewhere along the way, the imagery took precedence over the story. The possibility of exploring the deep relationship between the girl and the tree when she has to move away after marriage, and her loss when the tree is felled were not dealt with in depth.

The terracotta red backdrop projection was an ideal canvas to recreate the white lines. The filmmaker with an understanding of the dance had seamlessly woven the visuals. The dancer and the filmmaker need to be lauded for highlighting the beauty of Warli paintings, without taking away any context. Lighting design was by Kirti Kumar, while music composition and arrangement were by Sachin Choudary and Ayan Banerjee.