Anamica Presents an Unforgettable Evening of Kathak

BY KAVITA CHHIBBER *

Anamica is a young organization that is now becoming synonymous with  presentations in Indian classical dance forms that are of international standards. Having showcased Mohini Attam, Bharata Natyam and Kathakali in the previous years, this year Anamica chose to bring Kathak to Atlanta.

Kathak is one of the six major classical dance forms of India and through song, dance and mime, rhythmically complex footwork, and spinning, it depicts epic poems and myths in a dramatic form. It focuses especially on the great Indian epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and the Puranas of Sanskrit literature.

Initially Kathak was used as a devotional presentation in temples but soon it graduated into the royal courts of both Hindu and Muslim rulers of   India . Soon a class of elegant courtesans and dancers made Kathak an enticing and exhilarating form of visual phenomenon. It took on a different hue in different regions. While you were dazzled by the technical mastery of the Jaipur Gharana on one hand, you were seduced by the sensuous and dramatic allure of the Lucknow gharana nurtured in the courts of King Wajid Ali Shah who studied Kathak and was a poet extraordinaire.

Today the legendary Kumudini Lakhia has taken it to even greater heights by bringing in innovations that initially had the purists up in arms but today those very performances are considered classics.

On 24th June some key students of the legendary danseuse came together at the Roswell Cultural Arts center in Atlanta, to showcase some amazing pieces. According to many of her students Lakhia has always encouraged them to explore their own dimensions and translate them into unique self expressions and then incorporate them in dance. This was amply evident in all the segment presented that evening.

The two pieces choreographed by Kumudini Lakhia were Radha Raman and her very well known ballet Yugal, the latter being a major attraction in many shows to this day.

Yugal which was evidently composed in the late 70s retains its beauty, freshness and allure to this day. The romantic duet was beautifully bought to life by Parul and Prashant Shah. The lovely synchronized movements,  the exquisite footwork and the vigor and free flow of emotions and body language made this an outstanding piece. It was amazing how the two created visual after visual of being one through just their dance and gestures, without touching.  Prashant’s foot work was immaculate, powerful and full of grace. Parul complemented him perfectly and that is why it was such a mellifluous act, each movement, each expression, and footwork synchronizing seamlessly. 

Radha Raman was a visual delight as dancers Pallavi Raisurna, Reena Shah and Ammar Vandal explored the nuances of Shringar rasa fragrant with Bhakti bhava immortalizing the love of Radha for Lord Krishna before a dazzled audience.

Parul Shah is not just a dancer par excellence, she seamlessly bridges the gap between Indian and western influences as she presented Precious Cracked earth along with Prashant Shah, Reena Shah and Ammr Vandal. The presentation, choreographed by Parul, captured the essence of Indian Village women, and the hustle and bustle of their daily life. The sinewy walk, the chores, the visuals of the women washing the fish, carrying water pots, their rustic beauty captured in their sun kissed faces, the earthy colors of their garment and almost overpowering sensation of seeing and inhaling the scent of Indian soil was a delight to watch. The show began with the silhouette of these women in a vision of languid, earthy postures on an illuminated screen that formed the backdrop of the stage. Covering the gamut of love and life, the very essence of what life means for these tireless women, as they work, play and frolic was brought on stage in a contemporary presentation that captured ballet like movements interlinking them with traditional kathak steps.

The haunting finale  History of Unforgetting combined emotion and mime, to depict the plight of the Devadasis who were the exponents of temple dances. And yet  as they strove to preserve the rich cultural heritage, they were ill treated and looked down upon. It speaks volumes about the power and deep impact of these art forms that they still exist. It is perhaps a  tribute to those artists who pursued these classical forms in spite of condemnation and stigma.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing was the poor turn out for an event of this caliber.  It had been a full house for all the three previous presentations but it was not so this time. I don’t know if it was because the Rahman show was a day earlier and ended late and the performance was held in the afternoon, or whether it was due to the fact that this is the summer vacation season and many families are in India.

For Gita Maheshwaran and her husband Manoj Kumar who are both art lovers, Anamica is the fruition of a dream that began barely three-four years ago. After initially approaching other organizations to help them present various art forms on stage, and not finding much support the couple decided to create a non profit organization for the very purpose and ANAMICA was born. This year while they received the support of the  Georgia Council for the Arts, the duo pumped in the money they were going to use to finish their basement into the production. They spent over 9 months along with expert advisors on Kathak, looking at artists, performances and video presentations before this presentation was finalized. “ We chose Kathak because we felt this is a dance form that is really appreciated by the Atlanta community, and we chose the works of Kumudini Lakhia because of her genius in combining the modern with the traditional making it a fresh presentation each time, “ says Gita.

“We also wanted to show that group presentations in Kathak could be showcased in some very unique ways. In fact so many students and dance lovers came back stage and told me that they never knew these kinds of presentations even existed.

It has been disappointing to realize that the rasikas in Atlanta are not at par with those of other cities. I also feel sad to see that many people go to those shows where they are friends with the organizers. In fact  we had wanted to do a free workshop but no one showed any interest. After the show people came asking for one.”

There is a lot of hard work that goes  on behind the scenes for a production like this to be showcased in Atlanta and I hope in the future not just the Atllanta community but all those who dance themselves or teach these art forms will come out in larger numbers to support such an event.
____________

Kavita Chhibber is an accomplished freelance writer and media personality. She  writes for Dr Deepak Chopra's website www.intentblog.com. She is well-known for her interviews of celebrities, authors and public officials. But she also writes hard-hitting news articles and cover stories for publications.