Dancers Nilava Sen and Prachi Saathi’s out-of-the-box chorographies

Nilava Sen and Prachi Saathi push the boundaries of dance at Kanakavalli’s ‘Rasa Margazhi Edit’

 The outdoor space of the heritage property Kingsley provided a nice ambience for two creative presentations as part of Kanakavalli’s ‘Rasa Margazhi Edit’ festival. The event is being held across four Fridays, in collaboration with Aalaap. 

An introspective personal journey to find the meaning of life was the core concept of ‘Entheos’, the solo debut of young dancer Nilava Sen. Inspired by Baul minstrels and Sufi saints, the performance had an eclectic mix of sounds, adapted to the ideas being expressed by the dancer.

Seated under a spotlight with one arm raised, the dancer depicted a life ebbing. Past memories flood in, and he embarks on a quest to find god.

His search leads him on to opening many doors, each revealing different moments and experiences from his life, both at the physical and spiritual level. It all came through with conviction in his portrayal. ‘Doonde re doonde andhiyara’ was intense.

However, the opening of doors was a recurring depiction. There should have been more ways to show it, to negate monotony. The white costume worked well, but the drape hindered movement. 

Bharatanatyam performances have begun to use graphic video presentations. Most often, they tend to divert attention from the dance.

But the two mediums can work homogeneously was highlighted when Mumbai-based Prachi Saathi, drawing inspiration from Warli paintings, teamed up with animation film maker Upaasana Nattoji Rao, to present ‘When Walls Dance’.