BHUBANESWAR: Artistes of Orissa Dance Academy swirled on the stage at Rail Auditorium on Monday evening to celebrate life and eradicate suicides from the society. They were performing at an event organised by The New Indian Express on World Suicide Prevention Day in association with Manam Foundation. Based on American writer Sylvia Plath’s poem Aerial, the act was an amalgamation of Odissi moves with contemporary references.
Unlike a regular Odissi performance, the act was not a step-by-step presentation of various segments of the traditional dance form. It was a dance-drama, choreographed by Odissi exponent Aruna Mohanty. Besides the traditional Odissi music, the act also saw the use of narration in English language. The act depicted the constant battle between the positive and the negative energies that influence an individual’s life.
One of the most interesting aspects of the performance was the use of light and shadows to convey the theme. The act ended on a positive note as the artistes made swift movements as if to celebrate the victory of life against suicide. The audience matched the tempo of the performance and clapped along with the artistes. They all were trying to raise an alarm against suicides.
Artistes of The Protean Hoofers (TPH), a students’ cultural group of KIIT University, contributed their bit towards raising awareness against suicide by presenting a contemporary dance drama. They danced to the tunes of Bollywood and contemporary music. Kids from SAI Dance World presented another contemporary piece choreographed by Ritesh. Dressed in black attires, these tiny artistes danced to the tunes of a track from popular Bollywood film, Three Idiots, receiving applause from the audience.