The seven forms of sanctity

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Attempting an amalgamation of the seven classical dance forms of India on one stage, while retaining their essence and ethos is certainly not an easy task for anyone. Odissi and Kathak danseuse Parwati Dutta is doing just that with her latest offering Sannidhi, which means “to flow together”.

The three-day classical dance extravaganza at the National Centre for Performing Arts from January 18 to January 20 will include a dance workshop, which includes an interactive introduction to Indian classical dance and the presentation of two dance ballets Sannidhi and Nirgeet.
Sannidhi, the dance ballet, brings together all the seven classical dance forms (Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali, Kucchipudi, Mohiniattam) on one stage where the seven dance forms represent seven rivers. “Every dance represents a river since every tradition is like a river. The river embodies the tradition and is the hallmark of a civilisation. The ballet is a tribute to water and all that it stands for,” says Dutta. Bringing together such a ballet wasn’t an easy task, especially having the seven dance forms, which follow different rhythms, on one platform. “The entire process right from conceptualisation to execution took four months. Since Sannidhi commences with chants from Shatpath Brahman (the sacred text which talks about the origin and purity of water) and has selected mantras from the Vedas, verses from the Puranas and other sacred literary compositions, it took quite some time putting it together. I would record audio clippings and email it to other dancers and then they would send me their suggestions and feedback. And since all the dancers were from different cities, we had to find one common place and time to rehearse and perform,” explains Dutta.
Another ballet that Dutta is presenting is Nirgeet, a research-based production where she explores the ancient ritual of performing Purva Rang before commencing one’s performance. “Nirgeet is an ancient system of dance and is based on a ritual performed around 2,000 years ago by musicians and performers seeking to please the gods, pacifying the demons and sanctifying the performance area. The ritual and the traditions have been explained in the Natyashastra. It comprises abstract utterances, melodic and rhythmic patterns coupled with symbolic gestures and beliefs,” says Dutta. Considering the dance forms have such varied musical patterns and subtle nuances that need to be paid attention to, Dutta says the music comprises North Indian as well as the Carnatic style of music. “The music for Sannidhi has been composed by Pandit Madhup Mudgal who has tried to adapt to both the styles very well,” says Dutta. She adds that each dance form has its own form of percussion movement and that’s how the rhythm remains distinct for each of them. “For example, the pong (the percussion instrument used in Manipuri) is represented by the Yamuna River. Odissi has a mardal while Bharatnatyam has a pakhawaj,” she says.
The most challenging aspect was to retain the purity and essence of every dance style. “I am traditionalist and purist as a dancer. I would not use the music that we use for Kathak in Odissi and vice-versa. Each dance has its own ethos and tradition and that cannot be tampered with. I believe in creative freedom that is within the realms of ethos. So it was quite a challenging production overall,” says Dutta.
As far as the workshop goes, Dutta says it is to give the participants an overview of the seven dance forms. “I want the participants to understand that all the dance forms emanated from a common source. Around 3,000-4,000 years ago dance forms came from a common concept. I want them to understand that they co-existed. On the first day of the workshop I want the participants to understand the taal and music for the dance styles from South India (Bharatnatyam, Manipuri, Kuchhipudi and Mohiniattam) and on the second day, we would look at the dance styles from the East and North (Odissi, Kathak and Manipuri). I have tried to delve into the dance forms and present a brief, yet comprehensive understanding of all the forms. Hopefully, it will give the feel of all the dances,” says Dutta.