Odissi dancer Laavanya Ghosh is working on the art of story-telling through facial expressions and classical techniques

Laavanya is choreopgraphing seated pieces that focus on the nuances of expression as a part of dance
Laavanya Ghosh
Laavanya Ghosh

Budding Odissi dancer Laavanya Ghosh’s oeuvre is rooted in classical, and in order to reach out to young audiences and associate them with the dance form she has taken full advantage of social media platforms like every other millennial. She is not only choreographing pieces that keep the classical elements of Odissi intact while fusing it with contemporary moves, but has also become popular for her seated choreographies that she started working on during the pandemic.

“My mother always wanted to pursue dance but like many from her generation she had to give up on her passion to prioritise other things. Her passion towards dance still left me in awe and eventually pushed me towards training in this art form. Odissi happened when we shifted to Bhubaneshwar and there has been no looking back ever since,” expressed Laavanya when asked about her inspiration.

The ancient dance form that was developed by Devadasis in the temples of Odisha has seen massive evolution over the centuries as the rule of different dynasties, and cultural shifts impacted its true form. The original form first witnessed a shift when dancers were used as entertainers in royal courts during the Mughal era, while the end of the rule gave birth to a form called Gotipua dance where small boys started dressing up as girls to perform on stage. Legendary performers such as Kelucharan Mahapatra, Debaprasad Das and Pankaj Charan Das were all Gotipua dancers in their youth who later on came together to give a proper structure to the dance form that is Odissi as we know it today.

“I believe in the popular saying Change is the only constant, and indeed our taste and preferences in dance, art and music is something that is undergoing a continuous change. However, since classical dance forms are rigid and cannot be broken in a jiffy, we need to be very careful while experimenting with it so as to not harm its spirituality, integrity and traditional essence,” shares the 23 year old.

In an attempt to work on her expressions she started choreographing seated performances during the pandemic that would bring most of the focus to her facial nuances. A random choreographed post on her social media handle garnered much attention from people near and abroad which gave her the confidence to keep choreographing newer pieces. “Seated performances can be carried out by people across all age groups and doesn’t require too many intricate body movements. Our society focuses a lot on the spectacles of a dance form but not its artistry. I believe seated performances are an extension of dance aesthetics as it stresses much more on deciphering the true essence of the music it is being performed on,” adds Laavanya. She also sheds light on the emerging concept of Neo Odissi where the basics of Odissi is kept intact, while the music, costumes and choreographies are being experimented with.

“Experimenting with a classical dance form comes with its own set of pros and cons, but one needs to keep going especially when she is passionate about it. Social media is a boon to budding performers like me as it facilitates reaching out to a large mass at one go. I take notes from every constructive criticism that I receive, in order to understand what my audience expects from me,” concludes Laavanya.

The young dancer also runs her own institution named Hamsadhwani Dance School where she intends to not only impart her classical learnings, but imbibe the art of storytelling through expressions in her students as well.

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com