KOCHI: Dance, music and other forms of art sustain many of us through these tough times. Mohiniyattam dancer Rekha Raju, a Palakkad native, and Kathakali artiste Athira Nandan from Malappuram rendered an online performance at the two-day dance festival titled ‘Nrutyangana’ organised by Hyderabad-based cultural organisation, Singidi Cultural Organisation. They showcased recorded performances at the event which began on Thursday.
For Rekha Raju, World Dance Day used to be when she would have multiple performances across the country. But for a year now, she has been staying at her home in Bengaluru and reaching out to her followers digitally. “Earlier, I was against performing on recorded music as I feel we will miss the live feel of percussion. But the situation now has forced us to rely on recorded videos and audios.
It hurts more when we have to perform through an online platform understanding that no one is clapping from the other side. There are no criticisms or questions. This feels like being breathless,” says Rekha. Athira Nandan, daughter of veteran Kathakali artiste, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair echoes similar sentiments. She performed a half-hour long piece on Poothana Mokhsham. She adds that the life of the performance lies in the live percussion instruments.
“But I believe these virtual short pieces will strike interest in more people. I see it as a silver lining. At a time when we are missing live stages, these platforms are comfortable spaces for struggling artists,” says Athira who is also an English lecturer.