ODISSI & SERAIKELLA CHHAU: THE worLDS THAT I STAND ROOTED IN...

Odissi

Is native to the state of Odisha in eastern India.

The tangible heritage of Odisha, especially it's temples, besides echoing the religious sentiments of the region, also speak of the importance of dance and music. In the many sculptures that adorn the walls of temples through the centuries we see the human figure as a vehicle to express concepts both figurative and metaphoric.

Odissi, for me, is a distillate of an extremely refined micro-culture that echoes the ethos of Indian thought and yet has it's own identity in the uniqueness of it's music, rhythm, poetry and literature. Each of these aspects if delved into will reveal infinite genres.

As an artiste I appreciate it's many facets and as a dancer, I celebrate the way the body is used to express. First, one learns to move the body in opposition...the lyrical movement of the torso juxtaposed to the hard pounding footwork...the feminine and the masculine...the yin and the yang...and as we deepen our relationship with the art form, these opposing forces in the body start to express a harmonious whole.  

SERAIKELLA CHHAU

Seraikella Chhau, is native to the region of Seraikella, now in the state of Jharkhand in Eastern India.

I got interested in Seraikella Chhau because of the use of masks. The masks used are unique in the way they are created...that they only depict the dominant mood (sthayi bhava ) of a particular character. The dancer through the use of movement animates the mask and a consummate artiste of Chhau will inevitably make the mask come alive in a myriad ways.

Once I entered the world of Chhau, I was introduced to a very spirited dance form and a unique system of movement. Underlying the leaps, jumps, large leg extensions, martial play is a very delicate system of shifting weight and balance within the body. This requires a sustained and focused play of energy fields. The vibrant beating of the drums that accompany Chhau dancers unleashes a stilling silence that a dancer must feel within the body and behind the mask.