Samhara returns to local stage
After their initial collaboration in 2012, Bangalore based the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and the Chitrasena Dance Company come together for a performance of Odissi and Kandyan dance
Elemental connections through dance. Pic by Karthik Venkataraman
A dialogue between two classical dance traditions, Odissi from India and Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka, will take place on June 5 and 6 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre as ‘Samhära’ returns to Sri Lanka. Two of the leading dance companies in South Asia–the Bangalore based Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and our homegrown Chitrasena Dance Company will relive a conversation between these two ancient dance forms, featuring what’s common as well as different.
Choreographed by the renowned Surupa Sen, Artistic Director of the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and recipient of the prestigious Nritya Choodamani award, the performance Samhara is a culmination of a five-year journey between the two dance companies that explored the elemental connections between the sensuousness of Nrityagram’s Odissi and the masculine dynamism of Kandyan dance.
The production premiered in 2012, and now the two companies are returning once again to reproduce Samhära in 2017 with the inaugural performance in Bangalore India, thereafter at the Royal Festival Hall in London culminating with their performance in Sri Lanka on June 5 and 6.
This production which toured internationally over a two year period from 2012 was nominated for two Bessie Awards, USA (dance equivalent of the Academy Awards) for “Outstanding Production” and “Outstanding Sound Design or Composition” in 2012. Samhära received rave reviews and standing ovations from appreciative audiences for six nights at the prestigious Joyce Theatre, New York. In May 2012 Samhära was performed in Sri Lanka at the Lionel Wendt theatre for three sold-out shows.
Performed to a live score, the music is composed by Pt. Raghunath Panigrahi. Conceptualised and choreographed by Surupa Sen, this production features Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy, Akshiti Roychowdhury and Urmila Mallick from the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Thaji Dias and Sandani Sulochani from the Chitrasena Dance Company. The musicians are Jateen Sahu – main vocalist, Rohan Dahale – mardala (Percussion), Sanjib Kunda – Violin and Parshuram Das – flute and from the Chitrasena Dance Company Waruna Shri Hemachandra on Kandyan Drums. The production’s Kandyan Dance sections were assisted by Heshma Wignaraja and the Kandyan Drum compositions were by Prasanna Rupathilake from the Chitrasena Dance Company.
As described by choreographer Surupa Sen, “After an honest and joyful interaction with the Chitrasena Dance Company over a period of 3 years it became apparent that the two regions had shared elemental connections by way of dance. In communicating with each other we relive our ancient histories, battles, conquests of faith, religion and territory. This unified search has yielded a wonderful and unique collaboration that blends the lines of our two dance forms and connects us to our ancient ‘wholeness’. Almost as if the Indian Ocean never separated us…”
‘Samhära” will be held on June 5 and 6 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 7 pm. Tickets priced at Rs 4000, 3000, 2500, 2000, 1000 and balcony Rs. 500 are available at the Chitrasena Dance School (590, Elvitigala Mw., Col. 5), tickets.lk and from May 29 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.
For more information contact the organisers on 011 3150570.