Homage to a gypsy

Inspired by the life of Mira Bai, the bilingual dance drama ‘Love Songs of a Gypsy Spirit’ is a sublime piece of work. It uses a symphony of Mira’s nine bhajans and Kathak dance moves to illustrate the seven stages of her life — from her falling in love with a statue of Lord Krishna to her union with the gods.

Speaking about the drama, which is all set to be staged at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha in Mylapore on July 7, choreographer Jigyasa Giri says that she was inspired by the bhakti movement that emerged hundreds of years ago. “I feel its revival in the form of this play is very timely, because we are in a world full of violence, hatred and materialism. To hear songs of pure love and devotion is a blessing and relief in itself,” she says.

Jigyasa’s tryst with dance began with Bharatanatyam at the age of seven. A few years later, she found her true calling in Kathak and started training under two masters from the Banaras and Lucknow gharanas respectively.

Inspired by her gurus, she eventually started her own dance school, Devaniya, in 2001. Ever since then she’s dreamt of staging a Kathak dance-drama about Mira Bai.

Love Songs of a Gypsy Spirit is being staged by Devaniya as a fund-raiser for rural education. ‘My School Satya Surabhi’ runs entirely on donations, and Jigyasa, one of its trustees, wants to use her production to raise money. The school, which works on the principles of honesty and passion, is set in a little valley village called Attuvampatti, in the midst of the hills of Kodaikanal. And a large portion of the proceeds from the production will go to My School Satya Surabhi.

Tickets are priced at Rs 250, Rs 500, Rs 750, and Rs 1000.