BENGALURU: In tribute to dance choreographer, Udupi Jayaram, his granddaughter, Abhinaya Rohan held a one-hour dance performance, Apara, in Bengaluru recently. Even though she hails from a family of dancers and grown up being around dancers, Rohan went on to study Chartered Accountancy. Two years ago, she gave up her full-time career as a finance professional to pursue a career in dance. She opened her school, Kala Sathan, and has decided to walk in her grandfather’s footsteps. Excerpts:
Tell us about the show...
Apara has been conceptualised and choreographed by Chitra C Dasarathy. This one-hour performance will be staged by a seven-member ensemble. The dance festival is in memory of my grandfather. He was a legendary dance choreographer of yesteryear. Most of the dances in the 70’s and 80’s films have been choreographed by him. In memory of him, I am also continuing in the same field now. I am a CA by profession, but have taken to full-time dance now. He suffered Alzheimer’s through the last phase of his life. We wanted to raise funds for the cause through this show and we want to do some charity in his name. We are raising funds from our friends and families.
What is the highlight of this performance?
This is a classical Bharatnatyam performance, but the production goes beyond the usual repertoire. It’s on Lord Krishna, the favourite lord of my grandfather. This has been performed worldwide, and I thought it best to bring it to Bengaluru now. It’s a classical Bharatnatyam piece, but it’s not in the regular Margam format. It’s about how various aspects of Krishna becomes him in the end.
Do you have plans of entering the industry as a choreographer?
I do. I have my own dance school. I’ve choreographed solo pieces myself. I also aspire to become a group choreographer.
Why the name Apara?
Apara because it’s about Krishna and how it’s about not being limited. Apara means limitless. The title is basically about how a fallen peacock feather from a peacock finds glory in Krishna’s hair, and how the clouds have given their colour to Krishna, and they become Krishna. It’s got a lit of innovative choreographed movements by Chitra. She has stretched the vocabulary of Bharatnatyam.
This has previously been performed in the US, Africa, and Morocco and India. But this is the first time that it is being done on a large scale.