Fifty years of an inventive journey is an event not just for celebration, but additionally for deep introspection. Malavika Sarukkai’s performances have usually been spoken about for finesse of motion, vibrant footwork, intense expressions and sculpturesque poses, however is that every one there to her dance? Is there a deeper quest as an artiste? Has the artiste developed, widening her canvas and charting a person path through the years?
All these queries discover a solution in Malavika’s newest choreographic work, ‘Anubandh – Connectedness’, introduced just lately at The Music Academy.
As ‘Aaditya Hridayam’ (Malola Kannan) reverberated on stage, a shiny circle of orange gentle framed the dancer. She visualised the solar god on a chariot pushed by seven horses, radiating vitality and light-weight, the depth of which was expressed via summary actions. The artiste then took us via a story that moved from the non-public to the shared.
The bond with Nature
In response to Malavika, ‘Anubandh’ is a response to the world she lives in. “It seeks to recognise and reclaim our primordial relationships with the Solar and Moon, as additionally with the 5 components (pancha mahabhutas) the place Earth, water, wind, fireplace and house.”
Among the many different concepts explored via motion and gesture within the five-part choreography had been the contact of Mom Earth, the sap that provides start to the tree, the drops of rain, the gathering of clouds, the stream of the river, the waves of the ocean, the facility of ardour, ignited as a result of Kamadeva’s arrows, the abundance of Nature, the inventive and damaging energy of fireplace, the interaction of pleasure and sorrow, and, lastly, being launched into the embrace of house.
The chanting of related Gayatri Mantra for every aspect knit them collectively.
The musical rating created with sensitivity by Easwar Ramakrishnan conveyed the distinct temper of every phase. The a number of voices rendering alaaps and swaras, the melodic notes of the flute, violin and sitar, the play of rhythm, the jathis and dhrupad music (Uday Bhawalkar) had been all woven right into a wealthy soundscape.
5-raga construction
Easwar had conceived of a construction of 5 ragas to go along with the theme — Saveri for Ri, Varamu for Ga, Behag for Ma, Naganandhini for Da and Bahar for Ni. Vignesh Ishwar, Murali Parthasarathy, N. Bhagyalakshmi and Vasudha Ravi had been the voices chosen for the totally different components. Sai Shravanam’s sound design was a phenomenal mix of sound and pauses.
The orchestra comprised M.S. Sukhi (nattuvangam), Keerthana Vaidhyanathan (vocals), Nellai Balaji (mridangam), Sai Shravanam (tabla, body drum and keyboard), J.B. Sruti Sagar (flute), L. Kishore Kumar (sitar), and Eliaz Caden (producer for dhrupad music).
Lighting designer Niranjan Gokhale didn’t simply present technical assist, he was additionally an integral contributor to the choreography. “My concept was to see how gentle impacts/influences the way in which we perceive every aspect of Nature,” he mentioned throughout a chat after the efficiency.
The lighting lent an edge to your entire manufacturing, however the phase ‘Partitions’ deserves a particular point out. Malavika’s intense portrayal of the turmoil of a person trapped in an area, mixed with highly effective horizontal beams of sunshine, was a second of creative excellence.
Sumantra Ghosal, the inventive collaborator, has penned the poems for every aspect — these had been used as a voiceover. Anuradha Anand translated them into Tamil. The costume design was by Sandhya Raman.
The efficiency moved past acquainted sample of mudras, abhinaya and nritta. And so, ‘Anubandh’, the results of a collaboration amongst a group of inventive people, made for an attractive, enriching expertise.
What the viewers obtained to see was dance as a language, not only a repertoire.