“ Dance is an expression of a man which gives landscape to his soul. Every movement reveals something wonderful a human can be..”
Glorified in Natya Shastra, Indian Dance forms maintain the authenticity of Indian culture. Graceful body movements along with navras, brings out there essence. Talas, Mudras, Abhinaya and Nritya depict the beauty of dancing. With the magnificence in their elaborate make up and costume, imagination, combination of music, dance and acting, makes it unique and dynamic combination of art forms.
Following the modern trends, some Indian dance institutions have evolved their dance styles. They believe in the idea of dance as a swift movement of body where they believe to bring different styles together, and presenting something new to the audience, while maintaining the authenticity of the dance forms.
Here we have some dance institutions and dancers who have made an attempt to fuse different dance styles and have also succeeded in creating something new and innovative.
SADHYA- A UNIT OF PERFORMING ARTS
Dance forms- Mayurbhanj Chhau and Contemporary forms
Sadhya is a contemporary dance company that propagates itself as a bridge between tradition and modernity. Its work culture incorporates a wide range of performances from traditional to contemporary to the special blend of two. Drawing from the versatile and energetic Mayurbhanj Chhau- a martial art form of Orissa, Sadhya has created a style of its own. It brings up a platform for the young and upcoming talent; it hopes to nurture the same with a vision that is futuristic. The strength of the Sadhya lies in its creative director- Mr Santosh Nair. He believes “the philosophy that he and his institution has adopted and worked upon is drawn from the traditional roots and increases the scope of one’s experimentation and innovation.”
VISHNUPRIYA NATAYALYA
Dance Forms- Classical, semi-classical, contemporary forms and folk forms.
Vishnupriya Natyalaya is a dance institution registered under Ravindra Bharati University, Calcutta. They perform pure Bharatnatyam recitals, semi-classical compositions, ballets, contemporary and other folk styles. They have brought different mythological stories of Krishna, Kartikeya and depicted them through innovative ways by mixing music and beats of different styles. Artist behind this prestigious institution is Guru Balakrishnan Marar.
SHIVOHAM- SHIVAM CHAUHAN DANCE ACADEMY
Dance forms- Mayurbhanj Chhau, kathak, aerial silk, acroyoga.
This dance institute brings out different dance styles and tries to create a balance between modern and Indian dance forms together. They maintain the elements of Indian and modern dance by fusing ballet, kasha, Mayurbhanj Chhau, aerial Silk, acroyoga. They bring different styles of music, rhythm, pattern under one roof.
AJAY BHATT
Dance Forms- Mayurbhanj Chhau, Contemporary Forms.
Ajay Bhatt is a trained Chhau dancer, contemporary dancer and is trained in Odissi as well. He is known for his ability to fuse Chhau and Contemporary together, according to the storyline of the act. To have an engraved impact on audience, he uses the fusion to depict mythological stories to get a better portrayal of the character. He has performed at many national and international dance festivals, and has been a scholarship holder at Sahitya Kala Parishad.
NITISHA NANDA
Dance Forms- Odissi and Belly Dance.
Nitisha Nanda is an extremely talented Odissi Dancer, she has been a part of Banjara School of Dance and has also participated in popular dance shows. She is known for bringing up Odissi and Belly dance together, fusing both together, to present something different to the audience.
Dance is said to be a conversation between the body and soul, where every movement has a different story to tell. Bringing different forms together to depict a story is definitely a creative task, while maintaining the authenticity of these different forms. These institutions and dancers have not only brought fusion in the dance styles but have also done something unique with the music. As art is not restricted to certain norms, it is all about the imagination power of the dancer or the artist, and to the extent till where they can extend their boundaries. As a dancer is known for his precision of movement, depicting different rasa together, and how he uses the power of music to grab the attention of the audience.
Dance is beyond imagination, and has a power of its own.
Happy dancing.
