Revanta Sarabhai, grand son of the late legendary dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and son of Mallika Sarabhai was in Bengaluru recently. He was here for a workshop and also to present his new work in Bharatanatya, From Cosmic Dance to Climate Change, for which the young dancer says he has used “classical dance form to redefine gender roles, upturn the deva bhakta paradigm and tell relevant stories of globalisation, climate change and long distance relationships, among others”.
He talks to Metroplus about dance, his legacy and works.
Edited excerpts
What did your workshop in Bengaluru cover?
It was for children on how Bharatanatya is used to narrate a story using mudras and bodily expressions. The children were fascinated by how within seconds one could switch from being Rama to Sita or from Shiva to Parvathi. They were in awe of how the body movement can be used to narrate and express through dance without words.
How difficult is it for a male to portray feminine characters while dancing?
You can be your masculine self even when you are dancing. But, when you are depicting Sita or Radha, it has to be done naturally. I learnt to surrender to the form while portraying feminine characters. If I hold myself back, then I am not giving myself completely to the dance or the depiction of characters and it shows on stage. I am thankful that I also saw some of the most masculine men dancing in my grandmother and mother’s troupe, which has taught me to be my masculine self even when I am dancing.
You are also into contemporary dance and work as a choreographer. What innovations have you tried through this style?
I work using two treads. One is to use Bharatantaya vocabulary as the route and strip it off its traditional aesthetics — costume, jewellery, music and use just the physical vocabulary outside of its classical structure.
What you see on stage is the newness to the language as it is contemporary in its movement and content.
This style also helps me rediscover what is within the skin of the movement itself. As costume, jewellery are so much a part of the classical dance form.
The other is the work I brought here. The form is classical but the content is contemporary. I stay within the classical boundary of Bharatanatya and speak about issues such as long distance relationships, how technology is a part of romance in today’s time.
There is never a piece in the classical form where the male dancer is pining for his love. So, I created one. Times have changed and the piece is accepted well. While bringing in these innovations, I find Bharatantaya a very engaging form.
What made you take to Bharatanatya?
As I was growing up, I saw my grandmother and mother constantly travel and perform.
I tagged along with my mother. It was exciting for me as a child as I got to see new places, travel and watch a variety of dance forms. I was surrounded by dancers and even woke up to the beats of dance classes held in the ground floor of our home.
I used to walk across the dance class and at times, weave my way through dancers to go to school. Dance was a huge part of my upbringing and felt natural for me to take to Bharatanatya.
Does coming from such a huge legacy put pressure on you?
Yes. It has its ups and downs. Expectations are high and people look more critically to all that you do, yet doors easily open for you as you have that back ground.
