Bijayini’s new solo explores the mind of a woman
The Hindu
The Odissi exponent’s new work ‘Call of Dawn’ combines three musical pieces in raag Ahirbhairav
“I do not want to be clever. It will be very simple, just a perfect turn is sufficient,” says Odissi exponent Bijayini Satpathy, when asked about conceptualising and choreographing her latest solo work, ‘Call of Dawn’. “I am not resorting to the typical movements of Odissi. It has a rich vocabulary. I am allowing my body to flow with the music.” ‘Call of Dawn’ binds together three musical pieces in raag Ahirbhairav. A verse penned and composed by poet-musician , Kazi Nazrul Islam forms the central piece of the performance. The poet speaks in the voice of a young girl who does Shiva puja to get the husband of her dreams. She wants someone who is not as radiant as Shiva but more approachable like Krishna. “Nazrul was a poet during the Indian independence movement. So, when he is giving voice to a young, unmarried girl, he is actually pushing for the voice of women. He wants that they should be able to choose their life partner. It’s an important historical moment to register,” says Bijayini. As a preface, the dancer explores the ideas of feminine and masculine and how the temple imageries influence the young girl’s imagination in the segment, ‘Oned’, based on Adi Sankaracharya’s Ardhanariswara Stotram. “By playing the role of the man and the woman in intimate situations, she gains confidence and strength to stand up for her choice in the Nazrul geeti,” explains Bijayini. ‘Oned’ has been composed and sung by Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, who has also sung the other compositions.More Related News