Head to this odissi performance this weekend to watch dansuese Madhulita Mohapatra and her troupe weave tales through enchanted classical dance movements 

Odissi Enchantment is a mesmerising dance performance by renowned odissi dancer Madhulita Mohapatra and her acclaimed troupe Nrityantar Dance Ensemble that will take to stage, this weekend. Madhulita, a recipient of the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for odissi by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, brings to stage the magical beauty of the dance form through two exciting dance productions that explore the mystical philosophies of sufism and spirituality, as well as a dance ballet on the epic tale of Ramayana. 

The first performance of the evening will be a dance ballet that retells the tale of Ramayana through the enchanting movements of odissi, starting with Sita’s marriage to Rama — the gripping story unfolds on stage with different episodes, including Sita’s swayamvara, Rama’s vanvas, Sita’s haran, Jatayu’s moksha and Ravan’s vadh, which will be beautifully enacted by the troupe. 

The second performance will be a production of a thematic dance piece called Shoonya to Sufi that explores the mystical philosophy of sufism and the journey within the course of the seeker’s quest, with excerpts from the Upanishads and the poetry of Mirza Ghalib, Amir Khusrow and Mahapurasha Achyutananda Das. The script is written by renowned Odia poet Kedar Mishra and the music by Sukanta Kumar Kundu with rhythm compositions by Dhaneswar Swain. 

“Shoonya to Sufi is a dance presentation that explores the mystical philosophy of sufism and the spiritual journey of the seeker, as he tries to search for the divine within and outside, similar to the views of Advaita Vedanta and the unity and harmony of various faiths. The seeker is finding ‘the God’ within and the realisation of the self and the union of the divine,” Madhulita tells us. 

Sharing the inspiration behind this thematic art piece, Madhulita says, “I always had the interest to do something related to sufism, which is not very common in odissi classical dance. So, I thought this theme would be something that might interest the audience. The basic idea behind it is to bring this classical art form to a bigger audience with similar interests.” 

“The beautiful ideas of sufism have always attracted people with the message of peace, harmony and oneness. Like millions of people, it has inspired me too. I have tried to present it through the medium of odissi. However, I ensure, any attempt at an experiment or innovation, should not dilute the purity of classical odissi and should be within the classical framework, which will be reflected in our performance.” 

Keeping in mind the current generation, Madhulita has incorporated contemporary styles into the classical dance form to fit the needs of the narrative. Previously she has performed a piece on the love story of Mirza Sahiban and is back with the experimental Shoonya to Sufi piece, this year. 

Speaking of the creative process and the experience of putting up the show, Madhulita explains, “I first came up with the theme to build a strong foundation for the performance through the tale of Ramayana and sufism. I had to portray my thoughts and stories through dance. In odissi, we show our emotions through gestures. For instance, in Shoonya to Sufi, we portray the journey of the seeker through our dance. So here, I have taken a couple of verses from a popular song by Amir Khusrow, Chaap Tilak Sab Cheeni Re Mose Naina Milaike to elucidate my point.” 

Besides the beauty of sufism and its message of world peace and harmony, Odissi Enchantment will present a refreshing performance achieved through its continuous efforts to promote and popularise the classical art form. Madhulita personally wishes that one day, odissi dance will reach every home in Karnataka. 

₹500 onwards. April 16, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm. At Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield. 

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