Take a trip to different cultures with this experimental Bharatanatyam production in Hyderabad

Journey of Rhythms attempts to showcase the diversity of Indian culture through dance. An experimental Bharatanatyam production, it is a story about how dancers perceive this music, and how their body reacts to it.

Maithri Rao, founder of Shivansh, says, “As dancers, when we travel to different cities, we perceive things in a very different way, we connect with the music and culture in a very different way. This piece talks about various music genres of India, and the diversity in folk music.” Maithri’s vision comes to life with team Shivansh, com prising 25 artistes, who promise to take the audience on a journey through the diverse cultures of India.

Inspiration

Maithri shares that she was always inclined towards experimenting with music. “I have my roots in Mangaluru, where the Chanda beats were used in a lot of pujas. I got my idea from there, and started playing around. We then put an imaginary storyline through it,” she says. Her main idea is to talk about the diversity in cultures, and use the Bharatanatyam vocabulary to highlight something other than mythology. They also have a segment where they portray the Jogappa community (a transgender community who are married to devis, in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka) and how their music connects them to Yellamma Devi.

Storytelling

Weaving a story and choreographing to such different music was a challenge, Maithri tells us. The team has used elements of folk music which are essentially “raw and jumpy” and choreographed it as per the body’s reaction to the music. “We had to understand the importance of each musical instrument in their respective cultures. Each step has a connection to where the roots are, and what the music is emoting,” she says.

Maithri recalls that changing the format while retaining the vocabulary and elements of the margam structure was also a challenge. “Each piece was selected with the criterion of how different it can be from the other. We thought about the margam structure in terms of giving the audience the ups and downs of cultures. For example, we have done a mallari, but only with the Nadaswaram, which was originally how it was. We retained the margam format in terms of energy,” she informs.

Ideology

Along with Bharatanatyam, Maithri has also trained in contemporary and experimental movement. She enjoys exploring contemporary concepts while retaining her Bharatanatyam roots.

While talking about her journey in experimental work, she says, “I have been able to reach a bigger audience after modernising the form. For it to reach a younger generation, it has to talk about things they relate to. That being said, I have not totally forgotten mythology. We have a bit of Renuka devi (goddess) and the Jogappa community; but we have put it together in a way that the younger crowd will enjoy. We have also added some interesting costumes, and experimented with the use of light and sound to make it visually appealing.” 

Free entry. August 31, 6:30 pm. At Global Peace Auditorium, Gachibowli.

 Story by Ananya Mehta