It was the act of exploring through space, milieu, status, and the tense was ‘present’ through the medium of theatrical dance. The mise-en-scene on Meghdoot theatre stage was devoid of ploys and embellishments. All we had were the dancer-actors in twos and cluster gliding on to a thoughtfully lit stage. And the theme could be just about anything that interested a human being who could be an artist, a common man, a slave and what not.
Vague desires like wanting to be a beach-ball get highlighted through bouncing movements by the dancer who symbolises the ball for us; in turn the ball could be a metaphor for life itself goes up given an impetus yet grounded by law of nature.
It could be a desire to extol breeze, more so on the seashore. And there goes the dancer gliding in abandon, now frolicking, now rolling on the ground indicating the unfettered freedom that the human heart yearns for in the core of its being which is otherwise bound inherently by birth to so many invisible chains, which are depicted so vividly by entwining dancers who criss-cross the stage.
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The Anhad (boundless) dance cluster was essentially like abstract sketches, no not just outlines; they need to be deciphered with an artistic eye and then the picture is crystal clear. The short but sweet theatrical dances were conceptualised on plain movements artistically conceived which might just appear to be outstretched hands and flighty footwork or wheeling gyrations on the ground (of the stage) or convoluting gestures to the un-initiated eye; but once you look beneath the surface, you can appreciate the enormity of the questions it throws up from everyday situations, grave or with gaiety and leaves it to the viewer to fend for answers. It is also a reflective journey into the unknown realms; at times it is an artistic recreation of inner conflict that finds its catharsis in speaking through the language of mime.
For instance, observed closely, the slave dance by Nanda Kumar and others where actual shackles are worn till the slave breaks free literally can be interpreted at different levels. For one, as this critic sees it, a hand-cuffed existence structured by life’s demands where most of us would be doing and living what we never wanted to yet are forced to by circumstances, society, family expectations and so on.
On the esoteric plane, this is a soul’s search and struggle for flight into freedom which is being fettered by the body which is like a cage.
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On the surface of it, the slave enactment has no topicality as of now, except if the theme is placed a few centuries ago. The emotions are created through gestural images. And here there was a hint of the ancient Kalaripayattu and Mayurbhanj Chhau leaps and lurches.
The young artistes pioneered by Bhavini Misra and Shohini Dutta, Subhasish Dey, Surbhi Kapur, Avinav and others have established their creative potential as artistes with sensitivity and sense of awareness. To them dance brooks no boundaries. Atul Mishra on the lights needs a special mention.
Anhad was a tribute to the late free-thinker, choreographer Narendra Sharma and founder of Bhoomika Creative Dance Company.