‘Samudra' leaves audience in a trance

This pair of 'Samudra' Group of Performing Arts came up with an amazing show of rhythm and synchronisation in Mangalore on Sunday. Photo: R. Eswarraj

A contemporary dance performance by a Kerala-based troupe captivated the audience here in Town Hall for nearly three hours.

Blending movements of classical dances with moves reminiscent of ballet, men and women dancers, performed with grace and ease, not a hint of the physical strain showing on their faces.

The performance was given by Samudra Centre for Indian Contemporary Performing Arts.

It was structured in a way that two or three dancers dominated the stage at a time, performed cameos for specific types of music, each with its own style of dance and made way for the next portion of the performance.

It seemed as if the dancers wanted the viewers to sample each type of music with corresponding body movements. For instance, two men performed a stunning sequence to percussion instruments: simple beats to which the pair synchronised their pace; increasing their speed to match the frenzy of drums.

Slow and graceful

The show began with a man winding his body around a rope that hung from the roof in the centre of the stage. Slowly and gracefully, with twists and turns, he lowered himself to the ground, and disappeared into the surrounding blackness of the stage.

Then came the other dancers performing for a few minutes either solo, or in twos, and threes. The dancers never failed to surprise the audience and offering them something different each time. Gaps in the music acted as prompts for the audience to applaud, indicating their appreciation.

Organised by Sangeet Bharati Foundation, the programme was sponsored by ONGC-MRPL and several public sector banks.