HYDERABAD: In its bid to promote tourism, the Department of Tourism of Government of Odisha – hosts three exclusive dance and music festivals every year at three of its highly popular heritage sites. While the Konark dance festival in December is for all the Indian classical dance traditions, the Rajarani music festival in January features the major classical music traditions of India. And Mukteswar dance festival that follows - staged in front of the 1100-years-old Mukteswar temple in Bhubaneswar - is exclusive with Odissi dance.
As is the norm, the recent three-day Mukteswar Odissi dance festival showcased a soloist followed by a duet performance and concluded with a group concert every evening. It featured three internationally acclaimed soloists – Bijayini Satapathy from Nrityagram, Bengaluru, Rahul Acharya from Bhubaneswar and Arushi Mudgal from New Delhi – all recipients of the prestigious Utsad Bismillah Khan Yuva Pratibha Puraskar.
Bijayini lived up to her reputation with her peerless performance of the two choreographies of her regular collaborator and Odissi dancer Surupa Sen – ‘Narayana te Namo Namo’, an Anamacharya kriti, followed by ‘Sivashtakam’. In articulation of the iconic features and characters of the two supreme Gods – Narayana and Shiva – the dancer became the characters with effortless ease. Be it Devakinandana, Sribatsalanchhana, Garudavahana or Pannagabhushana, the dancer’s amazing control over her body and emoting should be seen to be believed. The yogic postures in which the dancer excelled spoke volumes of her complete command over her body-kinetic.
Quick and clear transitions in the juxtaposition of the lasya and tandav elements in the compositions added much charm to the concert. And despite being a solo performer, she covered the whole huge stage space with brilliance, something the duet and group dancers often failed to do. Pin drop silence during her performance, followed by recurring rounds of applause at its conclusion of indicated how arresting her concert was.
The youngest of the three soloists, Arushi Mudgal, made an entry onstage as a sculpture coming alive. Of her three presentations – ‘Shiv Tandav Stotra’, ‘Sahana pallabi’ and abhinaya number Kihelara…Kharapatu helure – the first and last numbers being creations of the legendary Kelucharan Mohapatra. Though Arushi did full justice to the two numbers, she excelled as the dancer-choreographer of the pallabi. Her creation and execution of the pallabi that was intensely musical and, literally, a jugalbandi of the mardal (the percussion) and her ghungroos. Her quick and brilliant body movements and shifts from one zone to the other on the stage apart from a judicious coverage of the huge stage-space were hallmarks of her performance. One however expected a little more fire in her eyes while executing the Kaliya episode. And not taking an exit from stage between the first and the second presentations –apparently to save time – was unwise.
Rahul Acharya, arguably the most acclaimed male Odissi dancer of the world at present, was the right choice to open the festival. He staged his own choreography – ‘Krishna Tandav Stotram’. The choreography lacked the captivating power and vigour of the tandav elements and thus limited the dancer’s diligence and appeal. However, The way he danced on a single leg still lingers in the mind of this reviewer.
Of the three duets, dancing-couple Ramesh Chandra Jena and Madhusmita Mohanty, both senior dancers and faculty members of the prestigious Odisha Dance Academy in Bhubaneswar, stood out. A classic choreography by their Guru Aruna Mohanty, the story of Pingala, who was disillusioned with her longing for love from Emperor Atiratha, was powerfully and perfectly portrayed by Madhusmita, an Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Pratibha Puraskar winner. The brilliantly crafted choreography set to carefully chosen touching lyrics by poet Kedar Mishra was duly complemented by soul-stirring music by guru Ramahari Das with amazing rhythm composition by percussion exponent Dhaneswar Swain.
Bengaluru-based dancer-teacher-choreographer Madhulita Mohapatra along with her disciple Meghna Das staged ‘Janasammohini pallabi’, the dancer’s own choreography, followed by ‘Bajuchhi Sahai Bajare’ the popular abhinaya number choreographer by late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and redesigned as a duet by Guru Aruna Mohanty. The synchronization and harmony were missing between the performers and among the musicians. However, with the dancers being strong in their abhinaya, the beautiful sequences of dialogues between the two friends, were neatly delineated.
In the third duet between Sheha Manjari Hota and Aniket Pallav Nayak, the male dancer was visibly nervous - while the female dancer’s face was too glamorous; thereby affecting the beauty of a jugalbandi (duet dancing). Also, almost half of the stage remained unused by them. The dancers were definitely too young for an important stage like this.
Of the three group presentations, veteran danseuse Kumkum Mohanty’s choreography , ‘Narayani pallabi’ set to veteran vocalist Damodar Hota’s music was a treat for connoisseurs with its refreshing geometrical formations and thoughtful use of colours in costume. Similarly, her other composition ‘Aha mo Nandakole Gobinda’ brought out the best of the celebration of Krishna’s birth with Odisha’s traditional music and dance. She has made great explorations with the dance movements at a variety of variations of pace in the rhythm.
Kolkata-based Odissi exponent Aloka Kanungo with her large troupe of nine members, stood out with her sparkling dance and abhinaya defying her age. In Prativa Panda’s group presentation, there is little to talk of dance or choreography though the beauty of the unique sabda-swara-pata in the distinct Debaprasad Das style came alive with the live orchestra.
Rahul Acharya, arguably the most acclaimed male Odissi dancer of the world at present, was the right choice to open the festival
