Water Water Everywhere

This year was the 25th anniversary of Kalanidhi Fine Arts in Canada, with its mandate of promoting and showcasing Indian dance. It was actually founded 60 years ago in India by Sudha Khandwani. The 80 year-old couldn't be here this year as she was seeking treatment in India.

Over the course of 4 days, there have been numerous performances and symposia. I attended the Saturday night show at the Fleck Dance Theatre comprising of 2 solo artists and a troupe from Kerala.

Vaibhav Arekar came from Mumbai to dance Bharatanatyam, a dance that alternated between fast footwork and spins and slow and precise placement of hands and feet. Narmade Har Har tells the story of one of the 5 holy rivers of India and its journey through the country, and also metaphorically the development of womanhood from playful child to loving mother. It was interesting to watch the male Vaibhav take on various female persona in his gestures and poses. He also portrayed the stories of everyday people as they use the river to wash, to pray, and to travel.

The second soloist was Kathak dancer Amrapali Ambegaokar, a Bollywood actress based in Los Angeles. She came to her tutelage via her mother, also a Kathak dancer. With bells wrapped around ankles and complex foot taps and stamps (Kathak is related to flamenco), it's a melodious and urgent dance style. The svelte and beautiful performer added expressive arm movements and facial reactions to complete the stories. But her decision to perform several snippets and allowing us only brief experiences of each piece was a minor let-down. I would have enjoyed watching one or two complete works.

Samudra Dance travelled from Kerala to perform a contemporary work named Jalam. It was also about water, how it nourishes but also destroys, its soothing effect, and raging terror. Contemporary in Western dance is usually informed by its antecedents such as ballet. So it was instructive to watch a contemporary piece that has such different foundational elements: Indian styles including Bharatanatyam and even a martial art form called Kalaripayattu. For Western yoga practitioners, there were poses that were reminscent of the asanas they practice. The river was given form in the shape of billowing silk sheets, contained in teapots, and came to life as a powerful masked woman. It was a mesmerizing piece though I was partial to the more traditional sections.