Harmony in Diversity--A dance jugalbandhi

I have always been intrigued, at times even humbled by the vast variety in every field that India has to offer. As senior bureaucrat turned politician, Mr Shashi Tharoor once remarked “ When you speak of India you can only speak of it in the plural”. Given my inclination for culture and art , the rich diversity that one nation alone can accord, has never ceased to captivate me.

Last week I witnessed one of the most spectacular jugalbandhis of Kathak and Bharatanatyam conceptualized by Jyotsna Shourie of The Dance Centre. I have to admit that I’ve been a little wary of fusion art forms since my experience in the past has not been so pleasant. I believe this is a tricky path that calls for a skillful balance in maintaining its purity while exploring a harmonious blend. In addition there is always the danger of diluting each art form and inviting a raised eyebrow from a pro purist art critic or for that matter even seasoned connoisseurs. This jugalbandhi by The Dance Centre was by far one of the best that I have seen. What struck me most is how seamlessly they had come together despite being so distinct in their style and from divergent parts of the country. It was little wonder then that this performance had me in raptures.

The evening commenced with a short hymn to Lord Krishna after which Nandita Kalaan, one of Jyotsna’s foremost disciples presented a varnam in raag bhairavi set to Rupaka taal. It very beautifully depicted the yearning of a nayika for her beloved. As an emotive dancer Nandita brought out the pain that a nayika goes through when the divine who she has been earnestly seeking is elusive. A brilliant choreography of complicated nritta interspersed by abhinaya.

Building up the momentum from a fast paced Bharatanatyam piece, Rashmi Uppal, the Kathak exponent for the evening, revved it up to break neck speeds. Not much of a Kathak enthusiast myself this dance was riveting enough to get me to start liking it. Rashmi’s flowing grace juxtaposed with intricate rhythmic footwork was a sheer delight. I loved the way she beautifully glided across the stage in her chakkars. It was amusing to see the crowd bobbing their heads and tapping to her taal in complete unison.

After fascinating individual performances the exponents of the two dance forms came together in a jugalbandhi. Preceding the dance was a jugalbandhi by the artistes of both dance forms. What initially sounded like the tuning of instruments transitioned into a brilliant fusion of taal, laya and swara. Its not very often that you see the the pakhawaj and the mrindagam do a tango of sorts. Nor do you hear the rendition of a tillana, an integral part of the bharatanatyam repertoire, by a vocalist of the Kathak style. As a dancer myself I found it very fascinating to see a Kathak dancer tap effortlessly and in perfect synchronicity to the beats of the Mridangam. Another case of harmony in diversity was brought out by the attire of the musicians from both sides. The Kathak musicians all attired in shades of cream and white were a complete contrast to the vibrantly coloured Kancheevaram sarees and kurtas of the Bharatnatyam musicians. So in every way I saw a contrast blended in harmony—sounds like an oxymoron but its this play in representation that I enjoy most.

The jugalbandhi built up to a crescendo was just the perfect end to the evening’s performance. The dancers and musicians had enthralled the audience with their scintillating performances. Two dance forms, a jugalbandhi of dance and music—what more could a dance lover ask for? In the years to come I hope such compositions inspire other dancers to widen their boundaries to uncover new vistas of creative partnerships.