Dance is to escape. Dance is to embrace. These lines always strike chords with us because they rightly capture the spirit of this physical form of expression. In India, dance has always held a prominent stature and in some parts of the country, it is even performed to feel one with the Almighty. Bringing this spirit to life, NCPA this year is hosting Mudra Dance Festival.
Mudra Dance Festival, an annual offering of the cultural centre to mark International Dance Day started on April 27 and will continue till the day after. This year, the festival will follow the theme of Aparajita loosely translated to ‘the one who didn’t stop till she won’.
On Day 1, one of the pieces, Parijat, is presented by Sutapa Talukdar, a dedicated and devoted disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra. Talking to us about the performance, Sutapa credits a tough time in her life as an inspiration and says, “The darkest period in my professional life was when I was battling cancer and I often slipped into moments of disbelief. Over time, I realized that this period was a divine blessing, one that helped me derive a deeper meaning of life through the medium of dance.”
“I have chosen to express this embodiment of divine blessing in the form of Parijat, a flower known to be found only in the realms of heaven and this will be my offering at the NCPA Mudra Dance Festival,” she adds.
One sequence, choreographed by Gouri Nandana, will feature a spirited dance performance which is an ode to Lord Ganesha's childhood. A performance, titled Pallavi, will display the pure dance techniques of Odisha. You should also look out for the sequence portraying the elements of springtime and performance in praise of Goddess Kali by Rajashree Shirke.
Coming to the second day, Rajya Sabha member and youngest recipient of Padma Bhushan (1992), Dr Sonal Mansingh’s group presents a sequence that brings two primal elements of creation to life. Talking about the same, Sonal says, “I believe that magic works at every moment in life if one has faith and love for what one is doing. In 1974, I met with an accident in Germany that severely injured my legs thereby threatening my dancing career. However, my love for dance was so strong that it helped in my quick recovery to the ‘fullness of dance'.
“India’s beautiful tradition of dance with the amalgamation of several other art forms is always fresh and attractive and will remain Aparajit,” she concludes.
₹180 onwards. April 27 & 28, 6:30 pm. Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
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