Mar 07 2025 to Mar 07 2025 6:30 p.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Price: Rs 500 Book/Buy

Where

Courtyard Koota

Ground floor, Good Earth Tarana Good Earth Malhar, near Rajarajeswari medical college Kambipura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560074

Event Description

Aṅgahāraḥ conveys the idea of offering oneself gracefully, through movement, gesture, or devotion. 

This performance has been designed to include both the abstract and expressive qualities of Odissi dance. Set to specially commissioned music, each piece carries the distinctive Nrityagram style and visually celebrates the essence of the tradition with a contemporary choreographic sensibility. 

Here is a note on the performances:

Sankīrtanam (a prayer)

Wandering minstrels sing and dance in praise of Lord Krishna...

The lotus-eyed lord

with the flute in his hand

and a peacock feather in his hair.

The eternal lover,

the yogi,

the last refuge.

Protector of the universe,

he is the purest of all beings.

The only truth.

Dancers: Anoushka Rahman, Pavithra Reddy

Music Composition: Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi

Choreography: Surupa Sen

Śrīmatī

A submission to the inherently lyrical form of Odissi, this dance explores the various dimensions of its abstract vocabulary. It tells the story of the journey of a woman from youth to adulthood.

A tribute to Śrī as Nāri.

Dancers: Anoushka Rahman, Pavithra Reddy

Music Composition: Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi

Choreography: Surupa Sen

Sé Nāto Nāgoro Kānhā

The heroine says

“Don’t defend him to me, my friend

He has broken my heart in a thousand ways!

What a curse it is to love him so!

My doors are now closed to him.

No more shall I take his name,

he who inflicts on me such pain.”

Dancer: Pavithra Reddy

Music Composition: Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi

Choreography: Surupa Sen

Sun Maiyya

Written by Sant Surdas, this song is a story about Krishna through three characters:

A harried milk-maid who has been troubled incessantly by Krishna.

Little Krishna who claims he is a perfect example of innocence.

And Yashoda, a loving mother whose son can do no wrong.

Dancer: Anoushka Rahman

Music Composition: Pt. Jasraj

Choreography: Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra

Śrīdevī

A dance in praise of the Mother Goddess - As we brave new journeys, we ask the divine presence of the Mother Goddess to light our path.

“Oh mother!

Supreme power of the universe,

grant us the vision

to behold you within.

From you comes all life

and into you we must all return.

At your feet

we offer our dance.”

Dancers: Pavithra Reddy, Anoushka Rahman

Music Composition: Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi

Choreography: Surupa Sen

About the artists:

Pavithra Reddy (dancer)

Pavithra lives at a neighbouring farm and started her Odissi training in Nrityagram’s rural outreach programme in 1990. She was the first student to graduate from Nrityagram’s rural outreach programme. She learned Odissi under the tutelage of Surupa Sen and has worked with dancers and movement specialists from across the globe. Pavithra joined the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble 1993 and has performed solo and with the Ensemble to great acclaim, at some of the most prestigious venues across India and the world. In addition to being a full-time performer, Pavithra teaches in Nrityagram’s residential and outreach programs and is the Director of Outreach Activities.

Anoushka Rahman (dancer)

Anoushka is a disciple of Surupa Sen, is the new soloist and emerging star of The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble. She started her Odissi journey with Smt. Dona Ganguly in Kolkata and holds a Sangeet Bhaskar in Odissi dance and a postgraduate degree in Mathematics. Her association with Nrityagram began in 2018 through a Summer Workshop, which paved the way for advanced training under Surupa Sen’s guidance. Recognised for her talent and dedication, she was awarded the Virendra Kumar Laroia Fellowship. She has performed with The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble across India, the US, Canada and Sri Lanka and was presented in a solo debut performance in November 2024. At present, Anoushka is a dancer with The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble.

 Lynne Fernandez (lighting designer, technical director)

Lynne has worked as an actress and light designer with many notable directors including Barry John, Joy Michael, Ranjit Kapoor, and Lillete Dubey, and was one of the first professional lighting designers in India. Her theatre work has been presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in the West End and off-Broadway. She came to Nrityagram in 1993 as Production and Technical consultant to the newly founded Ensemble and stayed on as Technical Director. In 1997 she was appointed Executive Director of the Nrityagram Village, School and Ensemble. Lynne has overseen the emergence of the Ensemble on to the international arena.

About Odissi

For centuries, a temple has looked out at a turbulent sea, its walls dancing a prayer to the rising sun. Magnificent ruins like these, in Odisha in Eastern India, confirm t Odissi was performed as far back as 200 BCE. Originally a sacred ritual dedicated to the gods, Odissi is one of the oldest dance traditions in the world. Its sinuous forms, languorous limbs and rapt expressions frozen in stone tell of a past rich in dance, music, myth and legend. Odissi speaks of love and union, between human and divine, transporting viewers to enchanted worlds of magic and spirituality. Its sensuousness and lyricism reflect bot the motifs of Odisha temple sculpture as well as the poetry from the deep wellsprings of Odia music.

About Nrityagram 

Nrityagram (which means Dance Village) is a community of artistes that strives for excellence, while keeping alive and taking forward our living arts traditions. A one-of- a-kind community where dance is a way of life. A cultural landmark for Bangalore, India and the world. Our Founder, Protima Gauri, envisioned a dynamic place for the study, practice and teaching of Classical Indian Dance, especially Odissi. Our mission is to nurture dance professionals through the gurukula system, perform on a global stage and forge a community through outreach. Our dance village is home to an Open School and an internationally renowned Dance Ensemble, with a robust outreach programme. Our dance pedagogy is inspired by the Gurukula, where students and teachers live together in an integrated environment of practice, theory and discipline. Learning is a way of life and students have a rare opportunity to imbibe the spirit of the Guru by living with them and observing them at work. Conceived this way, for over thirty years, we impart not only technique in dance, but nurture a philosophy of being that embraces holistic practice, mindful living and the pursuit of excellence. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India. With over three decades of diligent practice, teaching and performance, it has the unprecedented distinction of making The New York Times’ “Best Dance of the Year” list two consecutive years in a row. Led by Artistic Director Surupa Sen, our Ensemble has achieved global critical acclaim, performing at some of the most notable theatres in 25 countries across 5 continents.

Age - 7+