Sat- Gati - the Sacred Path
25th Oct 2017
Sat-Gati by Punyah Dance Company
was a splendidly blissful production combined with intrinsic movements, expressive
abhinaya, soulful music & effective lighting.
The show opened up with Kalasha
Pooja, by worshipping the creation and the universe from which one is emerged. The
invocatory rendition by Vid Mahesh Swamy created a powerful divine ambience. Bowing
to none other than the Vignaharta Ganesh, team began their performance for the
famous “Pranavakaram Sidhivinayaka” kriti. This piece certainly gave a great
start followed by a solo performance by the choreographer himself, Parshwanath Upadhye.
The famed Ardhanareeshwara shloka of Sri Adi Shankara, “Champeya gowrardha
sareerakayai”, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies.
This was well depicted with different attributes of Shiva Shakti with the
perfect combination of majestic and graceful strikes.
The remarkable piece was “Devi Kali”, the destroyer of evil forces. Though she is
associated with violence, yet she is a strong mother figure. This embodiment of
Shakti, the fiercely energy, the fearful fighting figure with the necklace of
heads, lolling tongue was brilliantly executed by the feminine energy of Punyah
Dance Company. This vibrant energy thus calmed with the beautiful sequence of
Ahalya moksha by Sri Rama. The cry of
Ahalya “Ninhe Nambidenayya Rama” touched the audience with not just the dance
depiction but the true call by the vocalist himself created a perfect devotion.
Following it was the “Gopa Gopi”, representing the playful pranks of Krishna
& Gopi was joyful to watch. Krishna turned the whole community totally
insane, in fact very blissfully insane that they were all mad about him. This
piece gave an unexpected layer of surprise to see dancer Adhitya P V who is one
of the poised dancer (by nature as well) to have exhibited this role (aesthetics of Krishna Shringara) brilliantly
and none apart from him would have been able to do justice to this role. Each
of the beautiful gopikas turned out all the more beautiful with their intense love
towards Krishna.
The fitting finale well executed by
the team was the Thillana which was indeed a grand finale. The perfect
combination of dancers dancing to the syllables of the Nattuvanar Vid Karthik
Datar was treat to watch. The vocal rendition by Vid Rohit Bhat & Vid
Abhishek NA was an asset. Vid Harsha Samaga on Mridnagam, Nattuvangam &
Khanjeera by Karthik datar, Vid Mahesh Swamy on flute, Sitar by vid Suma Rani
added color to the presentation. The entire technical team well complemented
the success of the production.
The vision and the choreography is
best seen when it is executed well. The success rate of an art form increases apparently
when it is able to move the non-dancing audience .Being within the brackets of
the classical art and yet, successfully creating Rasa in the rasika (both
dancers & non dancers) is truly the mark of excellence & experience. In
the due course of Sat-Gati there was a divine connection that was established which made everyone experience this divine bliss, thus travelling the sacred path.
The artist Shruti Gopal, Sneha Devanand, Matangi Prasan, Preethi Bharadwaj,
Adithya P V & Parshwanth Upadhye are the well-known dancing troupes of the
Bangalore city. The team is a perfect combination of pure dance, grace, beauty,
emotions. Every gesture portrayed was perfectly timed and legible. This team who
treats dance as divinity may grow higher and higher in their future endeavors.
As the team says, Sat-Gati is the
path for one’s own spiritual evolution and our sacred art form can make any
place as sacred as temple.
~ Rashmi
Thaper
