Madhu Gopinath and Vakkom Sajeev are in the midst of practice, their bodies blending seamlessly to the earthy music. I seat myself on one of the stairs of the mini-amphitheatre to watch the performance. The greenery that dots the theatre lends me shade.
The partially covered stage on which the dancers are performing is spacious. Their dance is a fusion of different Indian dance forms and martial arts.
A thatched door marks the entrance to the stage. A black curtain that covers the back of the stage is fluttering in the light breeze, very much like the fluid movements of the duo. Weapons used for Kalaripayattu training are neatly arranged on stage. The music stops and the duo, founders of dance institute, Samudra Centre for Performing Arts, pauses to take a breather.
This work space of theirs, which is located at Vakkom, is three years old. The asbestos roof, grills that mark windows, and the beams that run through the rood are recent additions, they say.
“When we designed the space, we were clear that we wanted something simple yet functional. As the kalari is not completely walled in, there is always a light breeze. Both of us do not believe in mirrored dance studios or air-conditioned areas. We believe in keeping things as rooted to the soil as possible. That is why the thatched door, thatched windows on one side, the red oxide flooring, the brick walls... It is built according to Vastushastra,” says Sajeev.
Samudra was formed in 1998. Both trained classical dancers, Sajeev’s and Madhu’s search for something novel for rasikas led to the creation of Samudra Nadanam, a new dance vocabulary. “It is called Samudra Nadanam because the audience can identify with the movements on stage. The mudras we use are gestures we use in our daily life,” says Madhu. This dance form has been recognised with the Kalashri Award by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.
But why, did they choose Vakkom to start their dance school? “Well, Sajeev is from Vakkom and I am from Chirayinkeezh. This land belongs to Sajeev’s brother, and was lying unused. At first only that house you see over there was standing on this land. Both of us wanted our dance to reach our villages. We wanted to give the children of the village an opportunity to learn the dance,” says Madhu.
The institute that is open daily holds yoga, Kalaripayattu and lessons in Samudra Nadanam for the children of the locality during weekends. The rest of the week is spent with practice sessions with the troupe. Before starting the school at Vakkom, the duo ran the classes and practice sessions from various rented houses in the city. “Even then, we believed in letting our dance do the talking and preferred keeping our space simple,” says Sajeev. Each work space they have worked in is sacred, they say. “It doesn’t matter where we work. Once we step on stage, it’s dance all the way. It is something the students and members of our troupe have imbibed too. All worries, troubles and thoughts are set aside once we start practice,” says the duo, the creators of dance productions such as ‘The Sound of Silence’, ‘Jalam’ and ‘Cosmic Dance of Siva’.
The artistes are currently working on a new dance drama, which they prefer keeping under wraps as of now and are also looking forward to ‘Season Theatre’. “Season Theatre is something we started three years ago. It is mostly targetting foreigners and is a ticketed programme. We showcase our dance productions during this season. The stage and its surroundings transform completely then,” says the duo, signing off to continue what they love – dance.
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