Ingenuity In Expression At The Natya Ballet Dance Festival 2018...

A Biennale celebration of creative excellence in expression through movement - DANCE - The Natya Ballet Dance Festival organized by the Natya Ballet Centre in association with Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) drew a close to its second edition on December 2, 2018. 

The three-day event at SNA premises in the heart of the city beginning November 30, 2018, witnessed a full-house audience all three days, performing arts enthusiasts and Indian culture fanatics alike, soaking in the rich heritage of the timeless art form that is dance. Exploring the pertinent themes of ‘Dance in Film’ & ‘Dance in Theatre’, NBDF 2018 showcased the best of both local and global art forms, at the same time emphasizing on female power in dance & theatre. 

Commencing with renowned American choreographer and Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre, Ananya Chatterjee's Masterclass that introduced a contemporary Indian dance technique called Yorchhā, which brings together movement principles from Odissi, Vinyasa Yoga, and Mayurbhanj Chhau, NBDF 2018's first day also drew the curtains with a contemporary retelling of the Mahabharata, conceptualized by the Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust employing an amalgam of the Japanese technique of Bunraku, masks and shadow theatre, along with the elements of Chhau and Kalaripayattu to present a spellbinding storytelling session. 

Helmed by Anurupa Roy, Founder and Managing Trustee of the Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, the hour-long enactment of the mythological epic saw a stream of the conscious narrative of the fifteen prominent characters of the Mahabharata. The unquestioning loyalty to their personal beliefs by each that paved way to the battle of Kurukshetra was portrayed effortlessly, whilst at the same time questioning whether the characters had chances to alter their choices that could have made a difference to the consequences. 

While the second and third days of the festival aimed to explore the underlying themes by the means of 'Meet The Legends' and 'Dance Discourses', there was a lot to look forward to, as the experience unfolded. 

“It was a labor of love to bring a festival of this magnitude to the Delhi public, and a rewarding experience to witness the large turnout. Natya Ballet Centre strives to innovate, expand dialogues and boundaries within the realm of dance, which was showcased under one roof, over three days. A coming together of immense talent from different fields.”, said Radhika Hoon, Chairperson, Natya Ballet Centre on showcasing a tribute to dance in the context of theatre and film, by the means of The Natya Ballet Dance Festival. 

On the second day, Sangeet Natak Akademi opened its doors to an insightful conversation with the legend of contemporary Indian Dance, Astad Deboo, who pioneered the contemporary dance style at a time when innovation in Indian dance was not welcomed. 

In his session moderated by Dr. Arshiya Sethi, a scholar, commentator, administrator, consultant and an activist in the field of art and culture, Mr. Deboo discussed how his style of dance has evolved during the years from learning Kathak and Kathakali, to his own unique style and shared his story of how he taught dance to deaf artists and children of the Salaam Balak Trust giving them an opportunity to perform in public. 

This segment was immediately followed by a tete-a-tete between the legendary Kathak exponent Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj and Manjari Sinha, an acclaimed musicologist and classical music and dance critic. 

The living legend shared anecdotes of how he learned Kathak, his journey and the legacy of Kathak which will be carried forward, beautifully binding the past, present, and future. Besides, being a maestro of Kathak, Maharaj Ji demonstrated his prowess at playing the tabla, recited his own poetry and sang leaving the onlookers in a graceful bind. 

The ‘Dance in Theatre’ segment welcomed renowned theatre artists such as Maya Krishna Rao, Vinay Kumar from Adishakti Theatre, Gowri Ramnarayan and Bharatanatyam exponent Jyotsna Shourie along with moderators Dr. Anita Cherian & Saumya Baijal, who shared their insights on how dance and theatre blend in the work and practice. 

Later in the evening, two international performances had been planned, courtesy the famous Dutch dance company Vloeistof - ‘We are waiting at the Border’ - a confrontational public space performance and Leo Spreksel's ‘Ayush’, an amalgamation of Western dramaturgy and Kathak vocabulary, performed by Hari and Chethana and Sirisha. 

Vloiestof has traveled across Europe and this festival served as the platform for it to premiere in India. With four dancers, three mirrors and a huge glass plate, the aim of this performance was to explore new ways to break boundaries and focus on unexpected aspects of borders. 

Commenting on how dance has come across as a powerful medium to fuel change in society, Nikita Maheshwary, Creative Director, Natya Ballet Centre was of the following opinion. 

“We are thrilled and humbled to see that our aim to unfold the plural discourses on dance and open up various dialogues on the shifting paradigms of performing arts has been received so well by audience and critics alike. We are looking forward to being back with our third edition in 2020, as the Natya Ballet Centre celebrates its 60th year, with international and national alliances to showcase many more inspiring artists and performances.”

The last day of The Natya Ballet Dance Festival commenced with a candid talk between Mallika Sarabhai, an eminent choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, actress, writer, and social activist. 

She has been recognized and awarded across the world and Dr. Arshiya Sethi, followed by another ‘Meet The Legends’ session with Leela Samson, who is an exponent and sensitive interpreter of the nuances of Bharatanatyam. 

She spoke about her experience of choreographing a body of work called ‘Spanda’, two decades years ago, which is known for its innovations in Bharatanatyam till date. She also shared details on her latest production named ‘Avani - The River’. The session was moderated by Prof. Naman P. Ahuja, who is a curator of Indian art, a Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and a Co-Editor of Marg Publications. 

In the same afternoon, the focus shifted to ‘Dance in Film’ where award-winning filmmakers and artists Saba Dewan, Justin Mc Carthy, Sharada Ramanathan, and Vikram Iyengar presented excerpts of their films and delved on the role of the camera in dance. 

The evening culminated with a powerful performance, ‘Aham Sita’, directed by Gowri Ramnarayan of the JustUs Repertory, Chennai and performed by the renowned Bharatnatyam danseuse Priyadarsini Govind. 

A blend of dance, music and the spoken word, it frames five crucial moments in the life of Sita along with the other women of the Ramayana - Urmila Mandodari, Surpanakha, and Ahalya - the act was widely appreciated.

Needless to say, the effort put in by the performing artists and festival directors shone through to put forward a successful second edition of The Natya Ballet Dance Festival, and here's hoping that dance as a performing art and catalyst continues to dissolve boundaries across the globe. :)