‘Sanyuktam’, presented as part of the Odisha fest 2019 at Grand Central Mall, Seawoods, Navi Mumbai was a judicious blend of Odissi and Sambalpuri folk style. Disciples trained under Guru Debi Basu presented classical Odissi.
The Pallavi, raga Bilahari set to Ek Taal, a pure dance piece in Odissi repertoire was presented by Sujatha Nair, Tulika Tripathy and Ananya Mukherjee. The trio conveyed beauty of the composition, through intricate footwork, movements and sculpturesque stances.
Sambalpuri dance, choreographed by Monaswini Mohanty Sahu, was performed by the younger girls: Sharanya, Mukti, Sansita, Utsa, Swati and Hasini.
Odisha has several exuberant folk dance styles of which Sambalpuri folk is a typical dance form of western Orissa. Accompanied by indigenous rhythmic musical instruments, this folk form has now come out of the tribal regions of Odisha, creating an indelible impact on people not only across India but the world.
‘Srita kamala kucha mandala’, Ashtapadi from Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, not only described the beauty of the Lord but also His various avatars. The Kaliyamardhan episode in which Krishna subdues serpent Kaliya was visually appealing. As Lord Vishnu, He destroyed demons Madhu, Mura and Naraka and as Lord Rama, He killed the ten-headed Ravana.
‘Srita Kamala’ set to Ragamalika Taalamalika, performed solo by Sujatha Nair, was neat, bringing out the different stories and offering salutation to the Lord .
The program was crisp in content and execution, proving the methodical training by the guru and adherence to tradition by the artistes of the evening.
