Aayana Dance Company’s show was a blend of the old and the new

The Bengaluru-based dance group gave a modern twist to traditional narratives at its Chennai performance.

‘Dhruva and Ellige’ were presented at Krishna Gana Sabha in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Aayana Dance Company

Artistes constantly need to reinvent and adapt themselves to the changing sensibilities of the audience. Aayana Dance company from Bengaluru has done so, successfully.

‘Dhruva and Ellige’ two works conceptualised by Aayana Dance Company was presented on the concluding day of the Yagnaraman centenary celebrations at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.

From the outset, the group packed in enough energy into the performance, which was a delightful mix of colour, light, music and movement. It began with a Valmiki Namana and a Vayu pushpanjali in raga Nattai, with a powerful imagery of movements to evoke the dynamics of wind. 

Lighting played a crucial role in the show. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Aayana Dance Company

Seated under two spotlights at either side of the stage, two artistes through intense abhinaya drew parallel between Hanuman and Tyagaraja — the two ardent devotees of Rama. The chosen line was ‘Vegara karuna sagara’. They are soon joined by a group of dancers and together they explore the kriti ‘Vandanamu Raghunandana’. But the constant presence of a large group of dancers on stage made for a monotonous viewing. Entries and exits should be streamlined in group productions. 

Hanuman Chalisa was noteworthy for the group formations and powerful footwork. The lines in the Chalisa that talks about fighting fear were highlighted to apt lighting and make up.

Group formations lent an edge to the choreography | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Aayana Dance Company

‘Ellige’, which deals with the basic questions — Who are we? What are we doing? Where are we going — was divided into three choreographic pieces. The panchakanyas — Sita, Draupadi, Ahalya, Tara and Mandodari were explored through relevant stotras addressed to the five men through a panchajathi alarippu. The dance moved beyond the narrative to focus women empowerment. This idea was interestingly woven into the alarippu.

The group ended with the mangalam ‘Pavamana’.

Traditional choreographic design was given a contemporary touch. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Aayana Dance Company

Aayana Dance Company needs to be lauded for their initiative in expanding the scope of Bharatanatyam by incorporating contemporary idea. Throughout the performance, lighting design by Surya Rao was an intrinsic part of the choreography. It showed why curators of group productions should give equal attention to every aspect. Thanks to the lighting, watching the presentation was a delightful experience.