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विरोधाभास | Virodhābhāsa
Investigating the Profound Nature of Paradox
Artistes
“Form is Emptiness. Emptiness is Form,” says the Buddhist Heart Sutra speaking of the paradox that lies at the core of all phenomena. Indeed, the world we inhabit is itself a paradox for it is both real and an appearance: Maya. And so, to better appreciate this world, one needs to look more deeply at what seems like opposites or contradictions.
A personal tragedy that held within it both sadness and peace led the artist to consider more deeply this idea of Paradox. As one lived through those difficult days, the thinking about the paradox began to transform and found expression in dance.
This work is the artist’s ongoing attempt to investigate the profound nature of Paradox. The production commissioned by Mandala Arts and Culture, Vancouver, Canada, was premiered as a Dance film in partnership with The Dance Centre, Vancouver, in November 2022. This will be presented for the first time to a live audience at BIC.
Credits:
Guidance: Sumantra Ghosal
Insights: K Geethanjali
Timely Advice: Preethi Athreya
Concept, Choreography and Performance: Navia Natarajan
Light Design: Surya Rao
Music composition, Rhythm composition, Orchestration & Mridangam: M S Sukhi
Vocals: Deepu Nair
Vocals: Janhavi Phansalkar
Veena: Bhavani Prasad
Flute: J B Shruthi Sagar
Percussion: Ganapathy
Photography: Jayasimha Reddy
Costume: Krithi Uthappa @Kritique
Flyer Design: Rajeev Manikoth
Additional Programming: Adharrsh Abraham
Sanskrit lyrics: Arjun Bharadwaj
Tamil lyrics: S Raghuraman
Artistes
Navia Natarajan
A whirling vortex of energy and grace, Bharathanatyam dancer, Navia Natarajan, has a luminous presence on stage. She stays true to the rigors of classical technique, but injects her dancing with a creativity and vision that is uniquely her. A classicalist through and through, she, imbues her performances with the elements of theatre and conceptual movement.
She had her arangetram under Smt. Radhika Kalyani (A renowned student of Smt. Chitra Visweswaran and Guru K. J. Sarasa) at the age of ten at Madras. Later she was trained under Guru Smt. Padmini Ramachandran (Director –“Natyapriya”, Bangalore). She is further honing her skill with Guru Sir A. Lakshmanaswamy (Artistic Director -“Nrithyalakshana”, Chennai) and Abhinaya Exponent Guru Smt Bragha.G.Bessel. Some of her noteworthy performances include The Dance festival at The Music Academy, Chennai, Kalavahini’s Dance for Dance Festival, Chennai, ICCR New Delhi and Prangath Festival by Sangeet Natak Akademi among others.
Surya Rao
Surya has obtained a bachelors degree in Choreography along with which he has successfully qualified Vidhwath in Bharatanatyam. An ‘A’ graded artist of the Doordarshan, the Indian National Television channel, Surya’s knowledge of Natuvangam and Indian classical music has embellished his artistry. Surya’s initial training in the Bharatanatyam was by Guru Chandrashekar Navada. He is also trained in Kuchipudi by Guru Smt. Veena Murthy Vijay, in Kathak by Guru Dr. Maya Rao, in Contemporary by Madhu Nataraj. His has further acquired skills in the Indian martial art forms of Kalaripayattu and Thang-tha and folk-ritual-traditional dance forms and Yakshagana. He has also appeared as an actor in several films and television shows across languages. He is a recipient of Nrutya Shiromani Award at Cuttack International Dance Festival, National Excellence Award from the Govt. of Orissa at the Shanti Festival Bhubaneswar, Yuva Kalashresta Award and title from BCKA Bengaluru.
