After a four-year hiatus, the ancient and classical Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam will be showcased on the stage of Belair Community Centre on Sunday, May 28, starting at 6:30pm. The one-and-a-half hour recital will feature some 40 young dancers of Nritya Dance Company and teacher/choreographer Aparna Samaga.
“Recitals like this are so important in keeping classical arts thriving amongst the younger generations. Recitals inspire and motivate them into practicing and training in the classical arts. Our kids become ambassadors of our rich Indian cultural heritage,” said Samaga of the show. “Our main goal in conducting this kind of concert is creating an awareness of Indian cultural tradition to the St. Maarten public and encouraging all youngsters and kids to come and learn this divine art form and thereby help in keeping this art form alive.”
The programme will feature the beautiful South Indian Classical Dance form of Bharatanatyam, group dances to the tunes of Indian classical and fusion music and a Bollywood dance number which dancers recently learnt in a workshop taught by ace Bollywood choreographer Shampa Gopkrishna.
Samaga said a small dance drama, based on an Indian folktale will be staged this year. The story of the cow Punyakoti is strongly rooted in the cultural tradition of the Karnataka state in India. Heard in the past over many generations, and to be heard in the future also, this is the story of truthfulness, honesty and faithfulness. The mother cow Punyakoti, who is very innocent and mild, is caught by a cruel tiger Arbhuth; but she changes the tiger’s mind with her truthfulness.
“The story reveals the importance of truthfulness in our life. Truth is god. Punyakoti touches our heart, appeals to our emotions. Human beings have to learn lessons from animals,” Samaga explained.
The core of the recital remains Bharatanatyam, the ancient traditional art form with its origins steeped in divinity and its reflection of the Indian culture at its best. It is a highly complex movement language that is an amalgamation of multiple layers of melody, rhythm, emotions, story, mime, philosophy, poetry, physical energy and tempo. And yet, beneath all these layers lies the innermost core of the art – a merging of physical energy with spiritual ideals.
The dance form uses a sophisticated vocabulary of hand gestures (Hastas), rhythm (Tala) and expression (Bhava) and is composed of two distinct aspects: Nritta (Pure Dance and Abstract Movements) and Abhinaya (Mime or Facial Expression). Nritta is intricate rhythmic footwork synchronous in time and tempo to the music; and Abhinaya visually interprets the narrative of the lyrical composition.
Looking beyond the music and the drama, the rhythm and the poetry, Bharatanatyam is really moored in something more profound and spiritual. It is very easy to simply appreciate the outer beauty and glamour of the form, but for the audience to experience a Rasa (aesthetic experience) that exists beyond this physicality is the true test for an artiste.
Samaaga said Bharatanatyam isn’t meant to merely entertain. Every performance is an experience for both the artiste and the audience – a spiritual experience of sublime aesthetics. Linear geometrical patterns, a perfect balance of the body, eloquent expression, and precision of footwork to intricate mathematical rhythms are the hallmarks of this dance.
Tickets are US $15 for adults and $10 for children ages five to 10 and are available at National Institute of Arts (NIA) on Longwall Road, Kams Food World on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road, Oro Diamante Jewelers on Front Street, Blue Rivera (next to Cheri’s Café) and Victorious on Rue de St. James, Marigot. Entrance price will increase by $5 at the door.
For more information, contact Samaga at 1 (721) 526-8850.
