In the production SAMHARA, the collaboration between Indian Odissi and Sri Lankan Kandyan dance forms destroys borders by coming together through artistic dialogue. This creative and experimental production is essentially a conversation between the two dance styles. The artistic director of Nrityagram Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy, Akshiti Roychowdhury and Urmila Mallick from the ensemble perform in this presentation along with Thaji Dias and Sundani Sulochani from the esteemed Chitrasena Dance Company from Sri Lanka to a grand live orchestra.

SAMHARA is tailored beautifully by bringing together the elements of pure nritta and natya. Arpan is essentially an offering to the five elements by both the dance forms set to beautiful music by Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi. The ragas melt into each other and the rhythms of the Odissi maddala and the Kandyan maddala converse with such panache and majesty that it fills the air with its magical tonality. There is lyrical flow here and a deep prose there but joyful dancing everywhere. Arpan is followed by a Shivastuti in Odissi and has been conceptualised with great care. The lasya and Tandava in Shiva’s dance and form are sketched so beautifully through satvika and angika abhinaya of the dancers.

This feature next moves onto a purely satvika abhinaya piece, an Ashtapadi which is a monologue of heart broken and repenting Krishna who cannot believe that he let Radha go! The last piece is called ‘Alaap’ where the ‘abhugna – vibhugnas’, ‘harinaplutas’, ‘matthalis’ and many other chaaris roll out one after another in an amalgamation of coordinated spacing and it creates a kaleidoscope of abstract shapes and forms that leave you with an awe of having watched temple sculptures in motion.