Silver jubilee memories
Nrityagram celebrates 25 years with a much-awaited performance by its dance troupe at Chowdiah Memorial Hall this evening
By : soumashree sarkar
Update: 2015-08-17 23:41 GMT
The sound of anklet bells have mingled with the rustle of leaves for many years now, in a world where children and adults rush to morning rehearsals every day to give expression to the hidden language of the soul. In the timeless space that is offered by the iconic dance village in Bengaluru 25 years have passed. Like life in the village itself, a silver jubilee is a cause for celebration. This evening, at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, the dancers of Nrityagram led by Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy, will be staging an evening dedicated to their own lives, and most importantly, the life of Nrityagram’s founder Protima Gauri, which ended on this day 17 years ago.
For many who belong to her time, Protima Gauri was transcendental. She gave form to an aesthetic that went far beyond the rigours of practicing Odissi dance moves. Over the sound of soft music playing in the rehearsal room, Lynne Fernandez, who is the managing trustee of Nrityagram, explains the ethos of NrityaUtsarga – the name of the performance of this evening. “We officially completed 25 years on May 11. Today, in 1998, was the day that Protima disappeared in an avalanche. We honour her today by celebrating the students who are living the life of culture that she espoused.”
With students as young as five and six years of age looking to make their stage debut, guided by the legacy of Protima, Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy have spent hours on rehearsals every day. Surupa says, “The teaching and practice for this day began over six months ago. All of our children get to participate on this day. It is particularly significant to me because I have also completed 25 years here. I have lived this dream and helped to nurture it and see it take shape.”
Nrityagram’s students, staff and administrators are living legends of the world of grace and art envisioned by Protima. Not a single phone call goes unreturned, not a day passes when a tourist is not greeted with a warm smile by a stranger.
Bijayini sums it up when she says, “Usually, at Nrityagram, we lose track of time, we forget days and dates often. But for all of us here who have been a part of this journey for more than two decades it has been life-altering. I came with my own dreams to Nrityagram 22 years ago. The purity of this place struck me and I stayed on. Very soon I became Nrityagram and Nrityagram, me. ”