‘AnuRadha’ traces Radha’s transformation from a humble gopi to a revered goddess
AnuRadha is a captivating dance-theatre experience that explores the eternal love story of Radha and Krishna, two iconic figures from Indian mythology. Set against a mesmerising tapestry of lush landscapes and celestial realms, this production harmoniously fuses the classical dance styles of Bharatanatyam and Kathak with modern choreography, beautifully embodying the essence of their divine connection. The performance traces Radha’s transformation from a humble gopi to a revered goddess, weaving together tales from ancient epics and folklore. It portrays key moments in her journey—her Awakening of Love, the Challenges of Separation, and her Ultimate Reunion with Krishna. AnuRadha invites the audience into a world filled with passion, devotion, and transcendence, celebrating love's transformative power through the mesmerising language of dance.
Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director, Apsaras Arts (Singapore), is bringing AnuRadha to Chennai this evening, and we got talking with him about the show and what the audience can look forward to.
What does AnuRadha explore?
AnuRadha explores the journey of Radha as a simple gopi to a Divine Goddess. The dance-theatre work follows this journey.
Radha and Krishna’s is a timeless love story told and retold over and over again. Through your performance, how are you presenting it differently?
Krishna as the hero of a dance production has often been portrayed. AnuRadha follows the story where Radha is the main character, which is seldom explored.
Please elaborate on the choreography and how the music is weaved in to bring out the story.
AnuRadha tells the story based on the poetry penned by poets across India. Much of the poems are written in non-South Indian languages, not so common for a Bharatanatyam work. The production attempts to take the audience to Vrindavan, hence the choice of ragas, instrumentations like sarod, saarangi, and shenahi are all rarely used in Bharatanatyam. The choreography uses Kathak dance as the dance-narrator and begins with Bharatanatyam which is the main dance form in the choreography.
Where does the story start and where does it end?
It starts from Radha's birth - she was found floating on 1,000 petal golden lotus to be crowned by Krishna as Radha Rani.
Please introduce us to the performance.
The dancers are from Apsaras Dance Company. This piece has been created with a creative collaboration with Rama Vaidyanathan. music composed by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, and music produced by Sai Shravanam.
December 21, 7.30 pm.
At the Bhatatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore.
