The fourth edition of Dance for Dance Festival just got bigger and better

It’s the season of dance in Chennai. Adding some rhythm and beat to the scene is Dance For Dance Festival with a host of stellar performances. An initiative by Kalavaahini Trust started in 2018 by renowned Bharatanatyam artiste Malavika Sarukkai, the festival has premiered performances of acclaimed artistes in the previous years, while also showcasing younger talent, bringing a well-curated festival where both junior and senior artistes could share their work in an environment conducive to fostering excellence.

 In its fourth edition, the three-day Dance for Dance Festival will present solo and ensemble classical dance performances by artistes from India and abroad. “This festival has evolved in many ways. Post the pandemic, a key shift has been that we are programming our Kalavaahini fellowship recipients into the three-day Dance for Dance Festival. This year, we have increased the number of fellowships given,” says Malavika. We speak to some of the artistes about their performances and what Chennai can look forward to.

Shruti Gopal

 “I will be presenting Antar-Vyuh in the vocabulary of Bharatanatyam. The performance explores the famous Draupadi vastraharana scene from the Mahabharata but from the perspective of other characters. I have chosen to explore it through the mighty Bhima, the warrior Karna, the queen Gandhari and the righteous Bheeshma.”

Also read: Mahitha Suresh’s Bharatanatyam performance is about women ‘not’ pining for lovers!

What triggered the production was the disgraceful event where women of a particular tribe in Manipur were paraded naked. “Apparently, this was done by members of another tribe. There was a plethora of questions that came to my mind. In 8th century BC, when Draupadi was humiliated and abused, a room full of people stood watching. The same happened now! I went back to Vyasa’s Mahabharata to see what justification they gave themselves, just as I justify my silence in today’s world, saying, ‘I don’t have the power.’

Ramya Harishankar for the Arpana Dance Company

SHE is a tribute to the divine feminine and to the devadasis — the original storytellers of Bharatanatyam. “Through her myth, we explore the nine basic emotions or Navarasa. Dancers also assert that the devasasi narratives of yesteryear continue to be relevant to our lives in the 21st century. By sharing stories of vulnerability, desire, and assent, we offer a glimpse into a woman’s emotional and sensual world.”

The first iteration was presented in 2019 and “we have revived and redesigned it for this tour. The intention was to give women agency using compositions from the Bharatanatyam repertoire interpreting them with a modern and contemporary sensibility.”

Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya

Prabodhan — an awakening is my awakening to understanding three principles. It is a three-part presentation. “The first is the understanding of the belief that there are tools which we can use in today’s day and age to access the Divine, and more importantly, the Almighty is waiting for us to reach out to Him — His only preoccupation — our well-being.”

Also read: Young Kenyan ballet dancers stage early Christmas performance for their community

The second part is the premiere of Ramya’s latest work The Dot That Moved, based on the Siva Tandava Stotram by Ravana affirming his adulation for Siva and Siva’s love for Ravana. The third presentation is on water, based on the Uttarakhand Disaster of 2013, the waters of the world are receding. What is the world our children inherit?

“The Dot That Moved was conceptualised during the pandemic but came together in the last few months. Prabodhan was conceived 10 years back but has been evolving since. What I present is the latest draft.”

Tickets start at INR 200. December 22 to 24, 6 pm to 9 pm. At Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore. 

Email- rupam @newindianexpress.com

X- @rupsjain