Odissi and Kandyan
An exchange of traditions:
Jayanthi LIYANAGE
The culmination of a dance exchange program between the Chitrasena
Vajira Dance Foundation and Odissi gurukul at Nrityagram dance village
in Bangalore took to
stage on July 4 at the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya.
Director of Odissi Gurukula Bijayini Sathpathy and Pavithra Reddy, a
dancer from the same gurukul demonstrated their one month's learning of
Kandyan dance as tutored by Guru Upeka Chitrasena. Bijayini stood out as
a phenomenal student of Upeka. The students of the Chitrasena
Kalayathanaya performed the Odissi dancing as taught by Bijayini, a
principal dancer of Nrityagram.
The exchange of the two dance forms began as a result of Chitrasena
and Vajira visiting the Nrityagram village in 2003. "Although I have
heard of Chitrasena as being the equivalence to India's Uday Shankar,
that was the first I met him," said Bijayini. When Upeka too visited
Nrityagram and performed Kandyan dance to recorded music, the seed was
planted in Bijayini's mind, to come to Sri Lanka and study Kandyan
dancing.
"I used my summer vacation to do that and I am very happy," said
Bijayini. As a teacher, Upeka is very precise, loving, giving and
generous. She did not leave any thing unattended in teaching. The mutual
love and respect between Bijayini and Upeka resulted in a very
successful exchange of the two dance traditions.
|
Students of the Chitrasena Vajira Dance Foundation performing
the Odissi dance of Nrityagram. |
|
Bijayini Satpathy and Pavithra Reddy performing the Kandyan
dance. |
"Teaching Odissi in one month is not easy. It is a very intricate
form of dancing that uses all parts of the body in various ways, in
opposite directions and in layers of co-ordination," explained Bijayini.
To comprehend that and achieve proficiency in one month is extremely
difficult.
Odissi dance
The students of Chitrasena Kalayathanaya was able to learn a whole
dance piece because of their high standard of learning. I have taught
Odissi dance in different parts of the world but this is the first time
I am completely satisfied that what I taught has been learnt the best.
It takes eight hours a day or twelve hours a day to bring out the
quality of dancing you saw just now." Bijayini vocalised different
expressions of dance, using two dancers to demonstrate the basic body
positions of Odissi.
Odissi uses every part of the body, specially the torso, bringing out
sensuousness and lyricism. She said that the 2,000 year old text of
Natya Shastra codifies every possible movements of every part of the
body. There are many eye positions, neck positions and torso positions.
Geeth of the Chitrasena Vajira dance ensemble said that this dance
exchange was a an important step forward for dance. "Odissi is one of
the premier dance ensembles of India. Dancers of Odissi have dedicated
their lives to dance and are very dextrous in teaching." The dance
demonstration is aimed at educating the parents of dance students and
dance lovers of the importance of such exchanges of traditions.
|
Upeka demonstrating the Kandyan dance. Pictures by Tilak Perera |
The purpose of the Saturday's performance was to bring together two
of the world's greatest dance traditions, the Kandyan and the Odissi. It
was also seen as a way forward for various traditional song and dance
forms of Sri Lanka.
The event was held at the new home of the Chitrasena Kalayanthanya,
Elvitigala Mawatha.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble was previously performed in Sri Lanka
to commemorate Guru Chitrasena's birth anniversary. Members of
Chitrasena Vajira Dance Ensemble have been to Nrityagram many times and
Upeka in particular has established a strong bond with Odissi dancers.
Sacred ritual
Vajira has said that the reason they keep going back to Nrityagram is
that Nrityagram dancers combine intellectual curiosity and depth, with
deep spiritual understanding to explore religions and ancient texts, and
other art forms (eastern and western) as source material for their new
creations. The ancient dance form known as Odissi was performed in
Orissa as far back as the 2nd century BC as a sacred ritual dedicated to
the gods, which makes it one of oldest dance traditions in the world.
The dancers study yoga, meditation and martial arts as well as Sanskrit,
mythology, literature. Knowledge passes from guru to disciple and the
continuity of such classical arts is ensured.
The Chitrasena Kalayathanaya launched its newest ballet, Koombi
Kathawa (The story of Ants) in 2007. Another performance of this ballet
will be staged at Bishop's College Auditorium, Colombo from August 28 to
30. |
