By Shikha Sreenivas
Nrityagram, a dance ensemble, is India’s first “dance village”, that is just outside the city. They are a company dedicated to performing Odissi. Nrityagram‘s dancers are a hypnotic sight, and you can probably watch them swirl forever. Too bad then that the invocation is only from 10.30 am to 10.50 am.
It was founded by Protima Gauri a little less than three decades ago, who described Nrityagram as “a community of dancers in a forsaken place amidst nature. A place where nothing exists, except dance. A place where you breathe, eat, sleep, dream, talk, imagine – dance. A place where all the five senses can be refined to perfection. A place where dancers drop negative qualities such as jealousy, small-mindedness, greed and malice to embrace their colleagues as sisters and support each other in their journey towards becoming dancers of merit.”
After their guru’s demise in 1998, the responsibility of Nrityagram fell on the shoulders of Surupa, Bijayini and Lynne.
The Guardian writes, “The flow and precision of their movement makes you think of water, of unravelling silk.” Post-Gazette describes their style as grounded and weighty, which produces an “expressiveness of the hand and eyes, that flows like the thickness of lava.”
Nrityagram has performed across the world, from Japan to Mexico, and this Saturday they will be at Jayamahal Palace. So be sure to set your alarms and get out of bed early on Saturday morning, and maybe do this little dance for yourself?