The lights were glittering across the hall. As the tints and shades of each lamp altered every ten seconds, the rather small yet curious audience wondered what would follow. Could it be a person in a strange costume, or a surprise celebrity? The clueless audience's trance was broken by a man adorning a turban playing the ektara. Soon, the hall transformed into a kaleidoscope, a magical terrain that mirrored the lofty world of Indian classical dance to the spellbound connoisseurs of art.
The Ahaliya Soorya Festival, held at the Indraprastham Hall, Kottayam, from October 2-6 offered a peek into some of the rarest forms of traditional Indian music and dance, variety being the hallmark of the fete like previous editions. Tales spun around the epics unravelled here with seamless precision.
A ballet depicting various aspects of creation, destruction and protection of the earth, presented by Manipuri exponent Suman Sarawgi and her troupe, synced Manipuri with other folk art including Nupa Pala, Maibi Dance and the Ras Lila.
While Ras Lila refers to a unique Manipuri composition dedicated to the life of Lord Krishna, Nupa Pala refers to a folk dance performed by men dressed in white ball-shaped turbans accompanied by a Nupa or an ancient drum. It is characterised by loud beats, rigorous footwork, jumps and turns.
Maibi Dance is most often performed during the annual ritual festival of Lai-Haraoba, wherein the Maibis explore the concept of cosmogony through the dance.
The ballet also included elements of the region's martial art Thang Thaa, often a harbinger of evil and destruction.
"I had begun working on the script for a while, and it took us nearly a year and a half to compile the entire composition," said Suman Sarawgi. Though the artistes train at a common school of dance, each of them train under different teachers (guru).
The mesmerising finale saw an exquisite display of Odissi, choreographed by renowned dancer Aruna Mohanty.
The recital commenced with a set of verses dedicated to Lord Krishna and soon gained momentum during the course of the performance.
The depiction of the epic Ramayana, with its well co-ordinated footwork and rather graceful movements were captivating. Not only did the dancers sway to the tunes of the rhythm of the music, but also they showcased a significant level of dedication and passion towards the art. The facial expressions (Abhinaya) added flavour to the performance, transgressing the audience to a world they could only imagine.
The troupe concluded the programme with the composition 'Vande Mataram.'
"Each of us have been trained in the art for over 20 years. This is my passion, profession and my life," said Jaanvi, a member of the troupe.
Rajesh, a senior member of the group said he has completed over 25 years as a professional dancer. "Of the many classical dance forms, I would say Odissi is tough. We have to practice everyday. The older we get, the more difficult it is to perform."
On the compositions for the recital, he said, "It took us over 15 to 20 days to prepare ourselves for this recital. We try to introduce certain changes to the composition each time we perform."
The festival proved to be an exposure to a unique culture on which the awareness and acceptance levels in Kerala are fragile in nature. Despite being one of the most literate districts of the state, Kottayam, is yet to warm up to the world of performing arts. While the organisers claim to have done 'a lot' with regards to avoiding flash photography or similar activities that could disturb the artistes, it was rather pitiful to put the artists through such inconveniences, including performing at a hall with its windows wide open and a squirmy audience struggling to ward off mosquitoes!
Perhaps there is a long way to go, but this tiny cauldron of art may well emanate a deeper understanding about the vivid nature of many such art forms.