It’s not just the story of the six yards but of a culture and tradition. Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai’s new production, ‘Thari-The Loom,’ traces the journey of the thread from the loom to the fabric. During the course of this travel, it takes in the imagination of the weavers, the beauty of the design and colours and the joy of the wearer. The length of six yards not just unfolds a legacy but is an artistic expression.
Malavika’s choreography will capture these aspects apart from showcasing the ability of the classical dance form to tell any story, even non-mythological. As with all her previous works, this one too moves beyond the straight narrative format to emerge as one with philosophical connotations. The sari in the production is not just an object of visual beauty but has been used as a metaphor of life.
Karnataka : Bengaluru , 01/09/2016 . Bharatanatyam Dancer , Malavika Sarukkai in Bengaluru 1st , September 2016 . Photo : Bhagya Prakash K
Thari also looks at a woman’s emotional connect with the garment, the significance of motifs used on it and how some colour combinations keep alive our heritage.
Her bond with sari
Malavika uses choreographic patterns to depict the form of Bharatanatyam as also to represent the warp and weft that in a broader sense signify the constant and the change in life and art. Over two years ago, she was inspired to imagine the simple drape as a theme for a group production. As a dancer, she has been wearing the sari on and off stage besides watching her mother, aunt and grandmother walk around in them. The personal bond with sari soon transformed into movements at a Dance Immersion Programme, as part of her Kalavaahini Trust, in Bengaluru. Malavika worked on the theme with a set of dancers mainly from Bengaluru, making them understand the thread of creativity. Thari is also the result of her new role as a mentor, where she wants to groom and create young thinking minds, who will bring refreshing ideas to this classical art to help the tradition continue.
‘Thari - The Loom’ weaves together inputs from many artistes. Sumantra Ghosal, the man behind the film The Unseen Sequence that revolved around Malavika’s life and artistry, is the creative collaborator.
Commissioned music for the production is by veteran Bharatanatyam dancer and composer Prof C.V. Chandrasekhar and Aditya Prakash, a young and talented vocalist from Los Angeles. Gyandev Singh is the light designer.
The production, which was recently premiered in Bengaluru and will next be performed at NCPA, Mumbai, is presented by Taneira (saris by Tanishq). It is a fundraiser event to celebrate 20 years of DakshinaChitra and will be staged on November 3 (7 p.m.) at The Music Academy.
Tickets for the event are available at Amethyst (Whites Road), Kimberly House (Chetpet), DakshinaChitra (Muttukadu, ECR), Madras Craft Foundation (Besant nagar) and Chamiers (Chamiers Road). Contact 9841025166 or 9790924889.
