Saturday, 3 December 2022

Life's dreams spun into weaver's thread - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

At the Habitat Centre, Ileana Citaristi, in a recital featuring her with students of her institution Art Vision founded in 1996 in the old city of Bhubaneswar, presented her own choreographies. Underlining the problems in arranging out-station programmes with no sponsorship, was the appallingly thin audience. Beyond providing auditorium space, Habitat was not directly involved with the event in any way, and with another programme of dance being held in the same building downstairs, the non-local group was at a distinct disadvantage.


Starting with an invocation to river Ganga based on Shankaracharya's Ganga Stotram strung to Rohan Dasgupta's music, dancers in squatting position as if in water, paid homage to the river adorning Shiva's head . Rushing with restless energy to meet the Ocean, like a nayika her beloved, are the Ganga's pearl like waves which wash away sins, earning salvation for the worshipper. For the devotee, being a turtle or a fish in its waters is a greater boon than being a wealthy king.

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1 comment:

  1. I am glad that such an effort is being applauded by an ace dance critic. It is indeed difficult for artists who are basically freelancers to arrange out of station shows completely on their own without any sponsors. It is in a way asking an artist to think more about business than his/her artforms. The illustrious art and cultural institutions of the country started out as a supportive umbrella for the propagation of art and artists. But now it seems that artists are left to fend on their own. It is a grave concern when newer forms of artistic expressions are not given exposure and platform to flourish. The youth of this country need to see and receive the encouragement of the cultural institutions to pursue classical art, which will eventually bring in more serious performers and doers in this field.

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