There is no doubt that through the efforts of Chhandika, its Artistic Director Gretchen Hayden, and its many students, kathak dance has found its place in the dance and arts worlds of New England. On Saturday, May 20th, kathak dancers Anjali Nath and Shefali Jain presented TĀLAM, lighting up the stage at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, where the sold out hall was packed with an appreciative audience that recognized and responded to the high caliber of this professional production. One of the visions of the nonprofit has always been, since its inception back in 2002, to bring kathak into the mainstream of the local arts community, and develop an audience with true understanding and appreciation for this traditional yet innovative art form. With the production of TĀLAM, the result of what Anjali Nath and Shefali Jain themselves term “a grueling process of deep study, unrelenting practice, and a constant quest for knowledge,†and with the support of both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, that vision has clearly come to fruition.
From the start of the show, the young women of the Chhandika Youth Ensemble, all between the ages of 12 and 18, set a tone of incredible professionalism as they maintained their stances, smiles and grace through an unpredictable technical glitch. They danced an opening tarana, composed and choreographed by Pandit Chitresh Das, with joy and delight, making technically challenging footwork, spins and choreography seem effortless, a testament to their rigorous training. Anjali Nath and Shefali Jain then entered in gorgeous costumes and performed a mood-infused invocation of the energies of Lord Shiva and his beloved, Parvati. In this piece and throughout the performance, each of the dancers stayed true to her own style while also complementing that of the other. This was the result of a long collaboration between the two artists. The result was a wonderful synergy of dynamism and grace, “masculine†and “feminine†energies, fluidity and crisp stances.
Accompanying the dancers, and performing their own mesmerizing pieces and solos, were leading musicians from both the Hindustani and Carnatic tradition. Satyaprakash Mishra on tabla shone with his lightning fast hands and charisma, matched by Rohan Krishnamurthy’s dexterity and rhythm on the mridangam. The two of them engaged in an animated and dynamic sawaal jawaab, or call and response, in the middle of the show. Jayanta Banerjee, a longtime friend and collaborator of Pandit Chitresh Das who composed many musical scores for the dance guru’s productions, accompanied with the grounded, smooth and masterful strains of his sitar.
Jain and Nath explored a wide range of kathak techniques and repertoire, from thÄt (highly stylized tuning of the mind and body) to bol paran (in this case compositions in a rhythmic cycle of ten beats), on to mathematical compositions and traditional storytelling. In so doing, the dancers demonstrated their mastery of grace and lyricism, speed and power, tradition and innovation. Their final piece, a bhairavi tarana that included a feisty call and response segment with the musicians, put all of these elements together. The crowd rose in a standing ovation for a new generation of artists who are infusing a deep and rich legacy with their own undeniable artistry.
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