KOCHI: Junahi RattanN doesn’t believe in the constraints of being a practitioner of a classical art form. The Odissi danseuse from Delhi believes in experimentation in every aspect of the art form.
Recently, she was in Kerala, as part of an Odissi workshop and also performed at the Kerala Arts And Craft Village, Kovalam. Share and learn, is the mantra the young dancer follows to spread the beauty of her repertoire.
“I have plans to organise more training classes in Kerala if I get an opportunity,” says the 33-year-old danseuse. However, the initial response to Odissi's teaching in Kerala disappointed the artist. “Many have told me that people are not open to new dance forms in Kerala, which was visible during the workshop. There were only a few registrations,” she says.
However, she is ready to take on the challenge. “As a dancer, we should be open to learning, understanding and exploring other classical dance forms too as they will give more versatility and gracefulness to the body,” says Junahi, who owns the Mudraangan Performing Arts Company in Delhi.
“Learning something new is not wrong as you are not leaving one for the other. Being an Odissi dancer I explore Kathak too as it will widen my art knowledge too. Moreover, you become capable of choreographing and performing fusions.”
Junahi has been learning and performing under the tutelage of veterans like Guru Manoranjan Nayak and Raseswari Nayak in Delhi. “I was inspired by the unique form and grammar of Odissi. And that made me want to learn more and more about it. The torso movements, complex patterns, lyrical gestures and music stirred me to take it as my tapasya,” she says.
Working as an Odissi dance facilitator at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, she focuses on organising more workshops and performances across the globe. And what makes her stand apart is her love for experimentation. Junahi does not restrict herself to showcasing rigorous traditional pieces.
“We learn the traditional structures, including body conditioning, gestures and footwork. Odissi is unique for its pelvic movements including ‘tribhangi’ where you have to make three bents in the body. As I am a teacher and engage in other performing arts including theatre, my repertoire has expanded over time.”
And she loves to explore fusion music and new storylines of mythological characters. Her solo Odissi ballet production, Urvashi Pururava Aakyan performed in the Indian International Crafts Awards ceremony in 2019, in Delhi, is an example.
“It was a love story between celestial nymph Urvashi and mortal king Arjuna. Another experimental performance was ‘Dancing In Madness’ where I performed to Anoushka Shankar’s sitar music at Craft Village in Delhi. I was taking the classical dance form, strictly performed on indoor stages to outdoor”.
Her latest project is an experiment with western music.
“On April 16, at Kiran Nadar Museum in Delhi, I will perform Odissi narrating the love story of Radha and Krishna to the percussion melody rendered by western musical instruments — piano, saxophone and drums. It is a new fusion experiment to explore possibilities of the classical art form,” Junahi concludes.