Rhythm and threads: When fashion meets dance

Indian classical dance forms and the runway fashion have nothing in common… until Anna Rao and his team from Hyderabad decided to bridge the two

In a way that’s never been done before in the city, students from the National Institute of Fashion Design will be working under Anna Rao, founder of Natyaswara — an organisation set up to support and nurture dancers — and his team of four classical dancers, and Aman Grewal, Mrs India Worldwide 2014 to create a fashion line that is inspired by the rich, traditional dance forms of India.

The project is scheduled to kick-start in October and the team gave a capsule presentation to the final year students in a meeting on Wednesday evening. “I have had this idea for two years now.

To integrate fashion and classical dance form has always been on the backburner, an idea that nobody has really experimented with. And that’s why I wanted to take it up,” says Anna Rao, who admits that the inspiration came naturally to him as he has been part of numerous fashion and art events from the organising point of view.

“In the module, artistes will present the history of the garment, the fabric used, jewellery, hairstyle, make-up… And based on what inspires them, the students are supposed to create a fashion line that will be showcased in February,” he says.

When the director of the fashion institute, Raja Ram, heard about the idea a month ago, he was more than willing to get them on board. “But that happened after numerous rejections from other designers. Nobody wanted to be part of this project, but now that Nift is on board, I am getting calls from everyone who first rejected me,” says Anna.

Aman Grewal, Mrs India Worldwide, 2014: While the artistes will take care of the cultural aspect, Aman will help the students give their garments the glamour quotient. “I met Anna Rao during an event and I was thrilled about working on this project. In the past I have choreographed a few shows, but I have never worked with Nift students,” says Aman, who moved to Hyderabad two months ago. “It’s an amazing idea to integrate culture and fashion,” she adds.

Sindhuja and Himabindu, Kuchipudi: Sindhuja and Himabindu have been practicing this dance form for over 20 years, but this was the first time that both of them worked together. “Kuchipudi evolved from the temple sculptures and is all about drama and story-telling. Originally, it was a street dance that later became what it is now.

The costume, on the other hand, is a pre-stitched pattern, divided into different parts,” says Sindhuja. Himabindu says, “There is a lot students can explore and reinterpret with this garment, but I hope at least one of them comes up with a simpler and non-hassle free garment.”

Mythali, Mohiniyattam: There is a lot of room for experimentation for the students. But the bottom line is each and every costume has evolved from a simple sari,” says Mythali, adding, “The most authentic garment while practicing Mohiniyattam is the white sari with the gold borders.”

(Did you know? As compared to other classical dance forms, Mohiniyattam defies symmetry as the performer ties her hair in a bun on the left side of her head. Not only is this style a cause of debate among researchers, but for the dancer a cause of splitting headaches).

Kiranmayee, Bharatanatyam: Even though you might have been dancing for years, you might not exactly know what you are doing and why,” says Kiranmayee, who has been dancing professionally for the past 15 years. “While researching for the project, I came across so much information that I was unaware of. I hope the students grasp this knowledge and come up with designs that are not superficial, but deep-rooted in philosophy,” she says.

(Did you know? Every ornament worn in this dance form has a meaning. Each and every piece of jewellery accentuates a chakra and wards off the evil eye by focusing on good energies).

Mitha Vanaya, Kathak: Mitha has been a professional dancer for the past 15 years and has trained many students over the years. But never before has she taught a bunch on how to make a garment. “It’s a unique concept, one that I wanted to be part of when I heard about it,” says Mitha.

(Did you know? In the 1600, the costume worn for kathak, basically a sari, was one that the women wore on a day-to-day basis. There was no specific garment reserved for the dance, as it is nowadays).