Five competent Kathak dancers from Ranan, Kolkata, presented the five elements — shunya (space), vayu (air), agni (fire), jal (water) and prithvi (earth) — that make up the universe and resonate within the human body in a riveting dance presentation “Shunya Se” at Gyan Manch, Kolkata. The presentation discovered the magic that comes from deep inside the choreographic perception of the elements of Kathak and the Kathak informed body of the dancers, from the most abstract and intangible to the most concrete and tangible, all existing together yet closely connected.
By combining, extending the basic principles and taking chances of deconstruction of tala pattern, basic grammar and elements of Kathak such as the thaat, the positions of arrival at “sam”, chakkars, etc and developing them with sensory awareness into abstraction, “Shunya Se” offered an aesthetic perception. Support of tabla and pakhawaj together with bol paranth, stotras, symphony music and the Rabindra Sangeet “Hriday Aamar Prakash Holo” at the beginning, paved the way for an entirely new form of exposition of an artistic idiom. The production began in silence, darkness with the light gradually illuminating the very slow walk of the Vikram Iyengar, the only male dancer, on to the stage. Clad in black and white costumes the other dancers followed, exploring the stage space with slow basic Kathak movements by moving on their knees. The music was a continuous soft drum beat of low pitch interspersed with soft bols and the dancers explored their resonance through space and sound of human voice. The grim feeling shifts to explore “air” from stillness to stillness, to achieve a balance between lightness and power through slow to fast paced running, jumps, waltzing with joyful stretches, holding hands or moving in clusters with the symphony music of Vivaldi. Their light coloured chiffon costumes appeared to restrict freedom of the dancers.
Compelling performance
“Agni” embellished with chants and stotras, flame coloured costumes changing into golden yellow, was a compelling performance principally by Vikram and Sohini. The group performed without constructing a narrative to display the positive and the negative attributes of fire with a powerful display of dance and emotional torrent. Once again symphony music supported the dancers to explore how the body creates and communicates fluidity beginning from slow flow to swirling moves, chakkars, encircling the stage to display the force and flow of water and how the body responds to it. Dancers with lovely flowing sea-green satin costumes offered a beautiful stylised imagery of flow of water.
“Earth” had the strongest choreographic challenge in terms of dragging floor movements, sitting positions of Kathak stitched into locomotion and the taatkar in the lying position with folded knees, drawing energy from the ground. Kathak revolves principally along a vertical body line and here the dancers explore how energy is drawn from the earth and released through the dancers’ body into it. Concept and choreography was by Vikram Iyengar supported by Debasree Bhattacharya and Sohini Debnath. Two strong dancers Samila Bhattacharya and Rhea Dawn gave powerful support. There was no lack of aesthetic perception but ample scope of interpretation of the impressive piece. Katy Lai Roy deserves praise for the costumes and the simple stage décor.
