That dance is an expression of the body and soul in unison – a mirror of the universe in its myriad aspects, came through in Kathak exponent Astha Dixit’s latest ballet, “In Search of Love”, presented recently at Kamani auditorium.
The 90-minute presentation had the audience spell-bound with its aesthetics, poetry and music. While the enigmatic title drew the aficionados to the ballet, it was the dance and music that finally overtook everything else making for a breezy performance. The dances, mostly group choreography with occasional solos, were also an amalgam of traditional Kathak and contemporary without overlapping or hindering each other. It was as if the musical divided itself into the first and final part with Kathak dominating the first half and then the contemporary dance taking over.
A series of dance sequences followed, each time to a different beat and flow of music and song. Dancers glided in and out in quick succession with quicker change of costume which was a treat to watch. They formed intertwining patterns, struck statuesque poses and above all looked ravishing in their costumes that suited the mood and tenor of the song. The Sufi kalams (mystic couplets) like Amir Khusrau’s Nami Danam and Hairat Maraz ( Sirafuddin Aurangabadi ) enriched the production. The multi-level, mystic tapestry justifiably required diverse art forms to depict an abstract but profound emotion called love.
Three tales
Astha chose three brief stories about persons from different walks of life – a courtesan, a jogan and an explorer. All three are in their journey of life, since realistically speaking, their lives are not as static as that of a normal householders.
The introduction to the courtesan was promising; what with a Sultan perched on a pedestal at the subtly decorated backdrop as if watching his royal dancers of whom one was the heroine who loved the king despite being warned by an old, experienced co-courtesan – that there is no reciprocity in love in ‘their’ lives.
The courtesan’s overtures result in rebuff by the sultan who is unable to stoop down to her level for the sake of love. The disillusioned girl is in search of love as the background song reveals. That ends there while a dancer dressed as jogan in ochre clothes with an ektara . Here the Jogan finds her destination that ultimate love is divine and has no form nor expression, nor emotion; just deep silence, a nothingness. The whirling dervish expressed this ecstatic state. The explorer beams in like a breath of fresh air and while the two protagonists are in desperate hunt for real love, here we find a bubbly quest for the now, the present moment, no past, no future.
Winning over audience
Ashta Dixit who donned all the three principle roles came out as an excellent dancer with expressive eyes, facial movements, gestures and footwork.
The ease and elan with which she slipped from traditional Kathak to the contemporary with equal perfection, was commendable. Symmetry and sync were the hallmark of this presentation. Dancers galore – all of them done with finesse – swept the audience off their feet.
