In the vast ocean of Kathak, dancer Shipra Joshi, 30, is a tiny drop but a significant one. She doesn’t remember the last time she ate a proper meal in the last week. This happens before every performance, she tells us.
It’s the angst to succeed, to make a difference. It’s also to not remain that tiny drop but to become something larger and greater. So every chance she gets to showcase her expertise, she takes it up with gusto.
August 21 will pose one such opportunity with her solo rendition at The Raza Foundation’s Aarambh-XV, a classical music and dance presentation.
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At present a repertory dancer with Kathak Kendra, she cherishes every bit of her time learning and performing with a host of gifted people, but an independent performance is what her heart craves for. Whenever there is a chance like this time, she hibernates in a maddening rut to achieve.
Joshi will open her performance with Mere Gali Mei Ayo ji Ghanshayam.
“Here Meera is exercising her right over Krishna and guiding him to come to meet her from the back door to avoid the glares of others. Meera has developed a pious image of Lord Krishna in her mind and she is even visualising him in front of her and telling Lord Krishna to not to call her name,” explains Joshi.
Set in Raag Maand, it shows Meera’s ultimate devotion. It is set to the musical composition of Sami Ullah Khan. Following this will be teen taal, where she showcases the traditional repertoire of Kathak.
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The conclusion will come in the form of a mythological tale from the life of Lord Krishna. “Kathak is widely known for Katha Kahe so Kathak Kahawe. I will support this tradition by presenting a story of Pootna vadh where as a newborn Lord Krishna kills demon Pootna during the breastfeeding incidence,” says the dancer.
Joshi says she owes her accomplishments to her guru (teacher) Prerana Shrimali, who blessed her with the understanding of the subtleties of Kathak and its execution with grace. Empowered with this awareness, she has made dancing a full-time career.
Though she’s faced significant opposition from her parents who worried that she wouldn’t be able to sustain a living, Joshi has worked towards restoring their faith in her and she works hard every day to keep it that way.
The evening will see Joshi accompanied by other artistes such as flute by Rajat Prassana and Bharatnatyam by Radhika Kathal. August 21, at 5.30 pm, Auditorium, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg