: Sufi-Kathak dancer Manjari Chaturvedi will perform the dance of the courtesan, Darbari Kathak, which seeks to re-capture the beauty and grandeur of the royal courts and bring to life some rare and original compositions that reverberated through the realm of arts and performance in yesteryears. The performance will also have stories being re-told by actress Neesha Singh about the lives of well-known courtesans.
The concert titled “The Courtesan — An Enigma” Dance re-lived, Stories re-told, is part of a series of the archival and documentation project “The Lost Songs of Courtesans”. It is an initiative that combines the two extremes of traditional art and modern technology in a unique amalgamation to make the youth and the masses aware of this dying art form.
By narrating anecdotes and stories from the life and times of a few famous courtesans, Ms Singh seeks to end pre-conceived notions about courtesans, often misconstrued, such as their sensibilities, lifestyles, emotions, disposition and ethos, as light is shed upon lesser known aspects of their lives.
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There are two shows of the performance. The first at Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector-44, Gurgaon on May 19, and the second at the India International Centre on May 20. Both performances will start at 7 p.m.
Actress Neesha Singh will seek to end pre-conceived notions about courtesans by narrating stories about their lives