Shinjan Nrityalaya, founded by seasoned Odissi exponent Aloka Kanungo, presented a scintillating evening of dance performances roping in Hindu mythological figures and bringing them alive on stage at the Madhusudan Mancha on Monday, 29 July. The miscellaneous dances showcased to the audience portrayed the influence of Jagannath consciousness, embracing all sects of Hinduism, including Buddhism and Jainism. The curtains that evening opened with a group of Odissi dance exponents, among them underaged children, giving their dance performances the desired edge.
Synchronising their dance movements with the song of praise to Lord Jagannath by Muslim poet Salabega, the dancers on stage demonstrated their skills with elegance and grace. The dance themes also managed to choreograph the three gods, representing the three distinct races of mankind. Dance performers endeavoured to give off their best by embodying devotees during the Rathajatra Car festival. The male dancers were excellent in their show of gymnastic skills that took the audience’s breath away.
What added to the glitter were the eye-catching costumes, complemented by the sets that created the desired ambience of the gods returning in human forms. The concluding item of the dance performances that evening presented Tagore’s dance drama “Chandalika.” The dancers, both male and female, managed to conjure up the spirit of the original work with grace and gusto, bringing across the message of peace as opposed to untouchability and caste discrimination. The music by Sukhmoya Bhattacharya was in harmony with Aloka Kuningo’s deft choreography.
Of course, a few words of praise are in order for the dance exponents headed by Sabar King Biswabashu, Suman Mondal, Vidyapati Sumanjit Chakraborty, Lalita Tithi Das, Sabar Kanya Shiuli Mohapatra and Puri Raja (Indradyumna) Sandip Gope. At a time when spirituality is kept on the backburner in this new millennium, contact with the supramundane was the need of the hour to awaken public awareness.
The writer is an independent contributor