It is difficult for up-and-coming dancers who do not practice a mainstream form, such as ballet, tap, or jazz, to get attention for their hard work. However, the Horizons Dance series intends to act as a platform for emerging Indian classical dance artists to showcase their talent. The series had their launch of Feburary 8 with Horizons 1 at The Church of St. Stephen’s in the Field on College Street. The series is the brainchild of the Artistic Directors at M-Do and Toronto Tabla Ensemble, Joanna de Souza, and Ritesh Das.
Horizons 1 featured two dancers, Kiran Phull, a Kathak dancer and protégé of Joanna de Souza, as well as Ankita Sarkar, an Odissi performer trained by the internationally renowned ChitraLekha Odissi Dance Creations.
Kathak and Odissi are two of the seven forms of Indian classical dance. Kathak is a dance style from the temples and courts of northern India and is characterized by rapid-fire footwork, vertical alignment, lightning quick pirouettes and soft graceful movements. Odissi, on the other hand, brings to life the sculptures from eastern India through grounded and graceful fluid movement.
The show was spectacular. Both dancers trained hard, and their efforts were applauded mightily. For the uninitiated in Indian classical dance, the gurus (teachers) of both dancers led the dancers through a series of demonstrations that explained the mechanics and meanings of the movements. This was followed by the actual dance pieces.
Ankita performed two pieces: Shankaravaran Pallavi, which is a pure dance set to Raga Shankaravaran, a lilting melody that is set to Ekataali (4 beats), and Dasavatar, which is an expressional piece on the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu from the Hindu religious tradition. The contrast between pure dance and expressional dance showed how Ankita is not only an athlete, but also an actress.
Kiran performed various traditional compositions in the major speeds: vilambith (slow), Madhya (medium) and drutt (fast) through pure technique and narrative themes. Particularly delightful was the live music accompaniment and improv between the musicians and Kiran. The ambience of the The Church of St. Stephen’s in the Field worked well with the dances, because both dance forms are rooted in a rich spiritual and religious core.
While Horizons 1 is complete, the series will return for Horizons 2 on March 28 and 29. Hiroshi Miyamoto will be performing Bharat Natyam, another form of Indian classical dance and Chad Walasek will show more Kathak on both nights. The fact that two non-South Asian males will be performing what are innately Indian dance traditions, lends itself to the concept behind this Horizons series, which is to highlight the work of teachers and students who contribute in creating uniquely Canadian voices in Indian classical dance.
For more information, visit www.mdo-tte.org
