About this Event
Pravaaha is a Bharatanatyam performance in two halves.
The solo form of traditional Bharatanatyam challenges the dancer and the dancing body, at once, to oscillate between being an individual identity and a philosophical concept. This experiential state is sought in the first half of Margam. It includes signature pieces like:-
*Ardhanarishwara- The choreography that has emerged from a personal and artistic journey reflects the two dynamic principles –the masculine and the feminine. A composition of Muttuswami Dikshitar.
*Varnam–A Swati Tirunal kritiis in praise of Hanuman was choreographed by his guru, Dr.Smt. Kanak Rele. It has been carried forward for 26 years as a masterpiece of her creativity.
*Harihara–An abhanga by Sant Namdev describing the two godheads -Shiva and Vishnu.
The next part presents a solo dance-drama - Debotar Grash.
Arekar says, "There has been a deep desire for a long time to explore the mother-child relationship through the medium of art-classical dance. Thus, Debotar Grash was born based on Tagore’s poem with the same name."
Debotar Grash becomes the frame within which the emotional landscape of a child's innocence and mother's love is painted. Further excerpts from The Crescent Moon, ‘Bir Purush/Hero’, ‘My Song’, and ‘The End’ have been imaginatively woven into the plot. The idiom, of course, is that of Bharatanatyam, and spoken words are interspersed within the dance narrative. The flavor of English poems juxtaposed against the original Bengali, Hindustani music, and Carnatic percussion ensemble have been woven into the audio-visual texture of this Debotar Grash.
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ARTIST NOTE: As a man of contemporary times, I need to investigate, experience, and perform Bharatanatyam within its classical idiom, not as an ancient form but as a contemporaneous art. Pravaaha looks at the flow of this ancient art as it has come down to me, imbibed in the present, and now flows through me into the future.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Cox Playhouse, 1517 H Avenue, Plano, United States
USD 20.00
