Dancers gear up for their Margazhi release

Dancers welcome Margazhi with their new thematic works

In the context of Margazhi and the dynamics around it, so much has shifted; yet, so much remains the same. For artistes, both in India and abroad, it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and premiere new works for an audience that congregates essentially and exclusively to soak in the arts.

“Think of it as a film that releases on Deepavali,” says Urmila Sathyanarayanan. “It’s a tradition, almost, right?”

It is also a time when performers-cum-teachers present their students on stage. “Creating ensemble works featuring me and my students and sharing them with a larger audience are exciting,” says Srekala Bharath, explaining why she chooses to unveil new works during the Season.

Vidhya Subramanian admits things have changed drastically from the early years of her dancing career — she will celebrate 40 years of her arangetram next year — and yet, the spaces where work is shared, she says, “are imbued with a history of collective energies of several dancers who have performed here.

Urmila Sathyanarayanan

“‘Thadathagai’ just happened by chance” says Urmila, of this mammoth production that features 55 dancers, all trained under the umbrella of her school Natya Sankalpa. It is an effort to portray the story of Madurai Meenakshi.

Drawing inspiration from the 13th Century text Thiruvilaiyaadal Puranam, with inputs from Kumaraguruparar’s Meenakshi Pillai Tamizh Paripadal and Silappadikaram to mention a few.