KOCHI: The stage was all set at Attukal Temple for the Bharatanatyam recital. This time, the performance was by Dr Keerthi Panicker and her team. Keerthi, who runs the renowned Institute of Bharatanatyam in Kollam, is a disciple of several dance maestros, including the inimitable Dhanajayans. The performance was thus one highly-anticipated.
However, before it could begin, two dancers stepped into the limelight for a speech. One of them held a mic, an uncommon sight for a dance performance.What followed not only didn’t disappoint, but was also magical.
While one of them recited parts of the dance — the themes, the storylines and the events that inspired them — the other interpreted it in sign language.“Art is a powerful medium for social change. We wanted our performance to be inclusive to all,” says Keerthi, who has a doctorate in Bharatanatyam.
For dancer Bhavana U B, a BCom lecturer at the National Institute of Speech and Hearing, the moment was “a dream come true”.
It was she who instigated within the troupe the idea of getting the dance interpreted in sign language. An hour-long stellar performance followed this session. Moving as one, the 11-member team brought to the fore the plight of women in Kerala. Titled Abhinava Kaali, the performance touched on key sensitive topics like dowry deaths, acid attacks, etc.
Talking about the performance, Keerthi said that the idea was also to educate the audience on the possibilities Bharatanatyam offers and how best to enjoy the performance. The 43-year-old’s performance is considered a notch above the others as it deviates from the usual and into experimental waters.
“We need to move away from repeating the old compositions. I incorporate technology and current issues into the dance. The Abhinava Kaali is a call to replace the demons we know — Ravana and Kamsa — with the ones that plague society today; the abuse of women certainly one of them,” Panicker says.
She also draws heavily from her own life traumatised by patriarchy and the wrongs of dowry. “I want to speak against it. I want to wake the women up and help them stand up for themselves,” the artist adds.