True to her tradition

Sangeet Natak Akademi award winning dancer Sujata Mohapatra says that awards are reassuring, but inner passion is a continuum

The quadrangle of National School of India University recently witnessed a graceful Odissi performance by the seasoned artiste Sujata Mohapatra. She was in Bangalore for a student workshop at the Azim Premji University as part of SPICMACAY’s workshop series.

Odissi exponent Sujata Mohaptra rendered initial pieces along with her disciple, followed by a solo piece on Krishna’s victories over the demons. In an elaborate abhinaya piece choreographed by her guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra, she illustrated various ways in which the evil spirits like Putana, Sakata, Bakasura, Kaliya and others tried to assault the young Krishna. She could with ease change from the role of a caring Yashoda to a frightful demoness and then to a playful Krishna.

After a scintillating performance in the open air,

The Hindu managed to get some time with danseuse Sujata Mohapatra, when she explained the essential characteristics of her dance form.

Bangalore is familiar with Nrityagram’s style of Odissi. In what ways is their style akin or different to yours?

Nrityagram’s style has a lot in common as it has taken aspects from my guru and father-in-law Kelucharan Mohapatra’s teachings. Yet their ensemble presentation looks different as they have improvised their movements to suit the tastes of contemporary connoisseurs. But as far as my style is concerned, the limit is my tradition.

Irrespective of improvisations, Odissi remains one of the most graceful dance forms in the world. What gives it that grace ?

It is definitely the torso movement which gives it such finesse. Moreover, as Odissi is a dance form based on sculptures, grace is an innate characteristic.

You along with your husband Ratikant Mohapatra have choreographed pieces based on classical texts such as Bhaja Govindam , Ritu Samhara etc. Have you worked outside texts?

Yes, many of our choreographies revolve around a classical text. However, given a chance, we are open to take up contemporary themes like climate change, floods etc. and present it in Odissi.

How do you establish connection between movement, speed and mastery?

In Odissi, the movement is often circular and therefore requires a dancer to slowdown as far as possible. If the same movement is done in a fast pace, it no longer remains circular.

It is very difficult to move in the first speed. As slow movements require patience, strength and endurance, a dancer tastes the true essence of a form in vilambit kaala.

Nritta can be mastered over a decade of training. But abhinaya has to do with the connection between one’s body and emotions.

True. One cannot teach abhinaya. Only if you have the knowledge of the character or the prasanga and an understanding of your emotions, it will come to you. It of course develops with experience, as the student explores different ways of expressing the same emotion. The more elaborately one does abhinaya the better one becomes as an artiste.

I first explain what the text requires from a dancer to my students after which they have to try different ways of expressing it. Such exercises train students to express better.

Belonging to a prestigious family comes with equal privileges and responsibilities. How has it been for you?

If you honestly value and continue the family tradition, it is an adding factor to your life and career. It has been more than fulfilling for me to be a part of my guru’s family.

You have been recently awarded with Sangeet Natak Akademi award. How does it feel being the only recipient from Orissa this year?

When recognition comes an artiste’s way, it indeed feels enriching. An award in a way confirms that an artiste is going in the way that is expected of her.

However, irrespective of any recognition an artiste keeps her work going as she does it not for an outer manifestation but for fulfilment of an inner passion.

What has been your recent choreography?

National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai had asked me to present on the theme - ‘interconnectedness’ recently. As I have always believed dance and life are interconnected, I conceptualised a piece called ‘Aadyanta’ connecting stages of life with stages of dance performance.

If birth is like Managalacharan and adolescence is like Battu, full of nritta, youth can be seen as lyrical Pallavi, ripened middle age can be compared to Abhinaya and finally death is like moksh , a piece performed at the end of an Odissi recital.

This choreography also emphasised that life and work are interconnected and should always go hand in hand.