Odishi takes centre stage at the 15th edition of Naman in Bengaluru
The intent behind Naman has always been to pay ode not only to the captivating dance forms of odishi but also to the community that has nurtured its practice in Bengaluru, allowing audiences to experience its cultural authenticity. What began as an initiative by Nrityantar — one of the city’s prominent odishi institutions — now celebrates its 15th edition. The evening will feature performances by Bhubaneswar-based artistes Rajashri Praharaj and Preetisha Mohapatra in a duet, Bengaluru-based odishi dancers Leena Mohanty and Debasish Pattnaik in another duet and the Nrityantar Dance Ensemble. We speak to odishi dancer, choreographer and Nrityantar founder-director Madhulita Mohapatra about the festival and more.
Before we dive into Naman, what is odishi dance? Tell us more about the different nuances and intricacies that go into it?
Odishi is one of India’s classical dance forms, with its roots in Odisha and a rich history connected with its temples, sculptures, music, poetry and devotional traditions. It has a distinct character of its own. It is graceful and lyrical, but at the same time strong and grounded. Chowka and tribhangi form the basic foundation of its body language. Along with characteristic torso movements, intricate footwork, rhythm, mudras and abhinaya. There is a beautiful sculptural quality to odishi, but when those sculptures begin to move, there is also tremendous fluidity. What makes it distinctive is perhaps this combination of the sculptural and lyrical — where rhythm, poetry and expression come together.
The Nrityantar Dance Ensemble will be performing for the festival’s 15th edition. How has the journey been so far?
Nrityantar Dance Ensemble will be opening the 15th edition of Naman with our new production — Dasavatara... In Every Age, He Returns. The ensemble has grown organically from our students over the years. As their training progressed and they became more experienced performers, we gradually developed a dedicated performing unit within Nrityantar. For Dasavatara, the process has been particularly intensive. It is a new production, so we have worked from the beginning on the concept, music, text, movement and choreography and then spent many hours bringing these layers together. As a teacher and choreographer, it is satisfying to see dancers I have trained gradually mature, take greater responsibility and grow together as an ensemble. It is a journey that continues even after a production reaches the final stage.
Could you walk us through the Nrityantar’s performance?
Most people are familiar with the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but we have tried to look at what connects them. Each avatar appears at a moment of crisis, when the balance is disturbed and needs to be restored. So, from Matsya to the yet-toarrive Kalki, there is a thread connecting the production. The central poetic inspiration comes from Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda, along with original Odia verses by noted poet shri Kedar Mishra. The music has been composed by shri Rupak Kumar Parida, with rhythm composition by guru Dhaneswar Swain. We are also using Daskathia — Odisha’s traditional narrative form — in the beginning. Each avatara has its own character, mood and dramatic possibilities — so the audience will see changes in movement, rhythm, formations and abhinaya as the production progresses. We have tried to make it flow as one journey rather than ten separate individual stories.
Who are the other artistes performing? Tell us about their work and what they bring to the festival?
The 15th edition brings together three different presentations, giving the audience an opportunity to experience different shades of odishi. From Bhubaneswar, Rajashri Praharaj and Preetisha Mohapatra will come together in a duet representing the celebrated artistic lineage of legendary odishi guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. We also have Bengaluru-based odishi artistes Leena Mohanty and Debasish Pattnaik, who are associated with the guru Deba Prasad Das tradition. Their duet will bring another facet of odishi to the festival, reflecting the powerful, earthy and distinctive character of this tradition.
Entry free. September 27, 5 pm onwards. At ADA Rangamandira, JC Road.
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