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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JUNE 06, 2024 | The Indian Eye 28

Nritya Darpan 2024 Creates Magic

with Spellbound Audience!

Consul General of India (NY) Hon. Binaya Pradhan Executive Member Nitin Ashtekar, Dr. Ashok Chaudhary, Consul General Hon. Binaya Pradhan,
during lamp lighting ceremony Exec Member Nutan Kalamdani, Festival Curator Dr. Maya Kulkarni and Advisor Karen Greenspa

OUR BUREAU Karen Greenspan who led the painstaking task union of Bharatnatyam and American tap dance
of selecting the best entries among the large pool celebrating the universal language of rhythm. Taa-
New Brunswick, NJ
of entries across the USA. Dr. Maya Kulkarni is a lam (Rhythm) has traveled from 18th century India
ritya Darpan 2024, the one-day dance fes- highly respected and well-known figure in the world to 20th century New York. The jugalbandi between
tival presented by the Indian Heritage and of dance, while Karen Greenspan is a New York the Bharatnatyam dancers and the tap dancers cre-
NCultural Association (IHCA-NJ), in part- City-based dance journalist, writer, and special ad- ated a euphoric celebration of diversity, providing
nership with the Consulate General of India, New visor to Nritya Darpan. a visual metaphor for how seamlessly Indian and
York was held on Saturday, May 25th, 2024, at the Shubhamani Chandrasekhar brought to life the American cultures can complement each other. A
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) qualities of freedom and self-assurance exemplified flawless performance to say the least!
in New Brunswick, New Jersey. by the celestial beings called Apsaras in a duet ti- Bharathi Penneswaran, artistic director and
The festival began with a speech by Dr. Ashok tled ‘Apsara’ set in Bharatnatyam dance style. In co-founder of Aalokam, performed two comedic
Chaudhary, the Founder and President of IH- the realm of mystique transcending the need for creations, ‘Chahiti’ and ‘Shadjam’, along with her en-
CA-NJ, followed by a lamp lighting ceremony introduction, there existed beings whose names semble. These works blended the narrative aspect of
graced by Chief Guest and Guest of Honor, Con- alone bore the weight of beauty, charm, and glam- Bharatanatyam with Penneswaran’s bold and playful
sul General of India (NY) Honorable Mr. Binaya our. They weren’t merely celestial entities; instead, sense of humor. ‘Chahiti’ depicted the playful facet
Pradhan, Founder Dr. Ashok Chaudhary, Festival these embodiments of freedom and boldness wield- of a young ‘Nayaki’ who is madly in love with her
Curator Dr. Maya Kulkarni, Festival Advisor Karen ed unmatched power in ancient times. In the tapes- elusive husband and her chase is portrayed through
Greenspan, Executive Team Members Nutan Dab- try of their existence, the three among the myriad the classical dance form. The song, sung by the fa-
holkar Kalamdani and Nitin Ashtekar. The lamp Apsaras – Rahasyam, Rupam, and Gunam, each a mous Channulal Misra, was adapted to the tradition-
lighting ceremony was followed by a speech by the paramount adornment, seamlessly intertwine three al Bharatanatyam repertoire. ‘Shadjam’ illustrated a
Consul General. essential qualities. Rahasyam with her mysterious beautiful evening as three young women encounter
The concept of Nritya Darpan was developed allure, Rupam with her glamorous charm, and Gu- young men leading to a dance of excitement, teasing
by Dr. Chaudhary to promote exceptionally talent- nam with her prowess in music. A lively and witty and flirtation. It was a fun piece, full of joy and playful
ed local artists and dance groups. Initiated in 2022, dance piece that involved interaction with the audi- antics of these young women and set to a section of
the festival showcases exceptional performing artists ence, gave us the true meaning of an Apsara! Akshara, a longer music composition by Bala Skan-
from the tri-state area who move beyond the classi- Parul Shah performed the piece titled ‘All That dan.
cal Indian dance forms and bring a contemporary vi- Lies’. The dance piece performed in Kathak and Mesma Belsaré, a captivating performer, creat-
sion to their creations. The professional dancers and Contemporary style was a call to reclaim identities ed ‘Jatayu’, a work that investigated this cameo char-
choreographers who are experts in Indian classical that Western constructs have historically defined acter - the king of birds in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
dance forms and are trying to sustain the rich heritage and controlled. Shedding light on the little-known The piece was choreographed by the show’s cura-
and culture of India in the US by adopting various story of the first Indian dancers to perform in Amer- tor Maya Kulkarni in the ‘Shilpanatanam’ genre, a
dance forms including Western dance styles and fu- ica as part of a comedic opera called ‘Zanina.’, this narrative dance form pioneered by Kulkarni that
sion, were chosen to participate in the dance festival. work examines how Colonialism and Orientalist stretches the boundaries of Indian classical forms to
This year five multi-talented US-based dance tropes sit deep within the perception of Indian clas- non-traditional themes and expressions. Jatayu the
companies, performed five high-quality dance dra- sical dance in America. With an impulse to disrupt, king of birds is a keen devotee of the divine king
mas, each telling a story with amazing and unique Shah attempted to challenge Western stereotypes Rama and an important cameo character in the
techniques and using various Indian classical dance and expectations of Indian dance through the usage Hindu epic ‘Ramayana’. This dance piece unfolded
forms in fusion with tap dancing. of movement and text. different dimensions of Jatayu. Mesma’s incredible
The dance dramas were selected by the very Vikas Arun and his company Project Conver- strength, stamina, and expressions, portraying the
talented curators Dr. Maya Kulkarni-Chheda and gence, presented ‘Taalam’ (Rhythm), a euphoric Continued on next page... >>

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