The Nrityantar Dance Ensemble led by Odissi danseuse Madhulita Mohapatra treated the art lovers of Palakkad and Thrissur to a mesmerising two-hour dance drama at Nemmara on Wednesday.
Ms. Mohapatra and her ensemble made the sixth day of the Avitis Surya Festival 2019 memorable by telling the epic tale of Ramayana through the dance ballet. They took the viewers through various episodes from Sita Swayamvaram to Ravana Vadha.
The dancers set the stage by paying an invocatory tribute to Shiva, the lord of dance.
Moving their bodies with grace and elan, Ms. Mohapatra and team opened the Ramayana ballet with Rama’s marriage.
Soon they shifted to Rama’s exile in the forest, and various incidents during the Vanavas.
Rama going after a deer for his wife Sita, Rama’s brother Lakshmana guarding Sita, his famous drawing of Lakshmana Rekha, Ravana approaching Sita in the guise of a mendicant, Sita being carried away in an aerial chariot, and the final war and killing of Ravana by Rama and his army were beautifully delineated through the ballet.
The team
When Ms. Mohapatra choreographed and led the dance, Guru Dhaneswar Swain composed the rhythm, and Sukanta Kundu composed the music. Pandit Nityananda Mishra was behind the script. Apart from Ms. Mohapatra, the ensemble comprised Paridhi Joshi, Sonali Mohanty, Sahana Maiya, Vivekini Das, Akila Venkat and Monalisa Mondal. Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan was the chief guest. She draped Ms. Mohapatra with a ponnada.
Dancer Navya Natarajan will present Bharathanatyam on Thursday.
