An integral but often unnoticed aspect of Bharatanatyam are the costumes worn by dancers to interpret the theme of various dances. The pleated pyjama with a fan in front is designed to create a silhouette that highlights the dancer’s bodyline and has many variants according to the theme of the choreography.
An ongoing exhibition, “When the Pleats Dance”, traces the history of dance costumes and showcases the evolution of Bharatanatyam costumes over four decades. The exhibition has been laid out to take viewers through the various styles of costumes and also to link dance, aesthetics and sociology to narrate a different story through familiar and unfamiliar imagery that form four creative dioramas.
From designs on a drawing board to mannequins wearing the finished product to photographs of costumes worn by dancers during a performance, the exhibition is a visual and informative journey for those interested in dance, design and photography.
The exhibition has been presented by Natya Vriksha and Desmania Foundation and has been curated by designer Sandhya Raman. The process of dance-costume designing has been portrayed beautifully through aesthetically-pleasing displays and a dance performance around the exhibition hall.
The costumes on display belong to dancer and Padmashri awardee Geeta Chandran, among which is the first Kanchipuram silk costume Ms. Chandran wore when she was five years old. The exhibition is almost like a journey through Ms. Chandran’s life as the entire story of the costumes are told through her performances and the process of putting her costumes together according to choreography. The display of hair jewels and dance jewellery complete the exhibition. Ms. Chandran’s photographs for the display were taken by Rakesh Sahai.
The exhibition is on till June 21 at India International Centre, Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex.
