Odissi – Indian Classical dance

An Evening of Melodic Emotions and aesthetic Expression

Supriya Chatterjee – Odissi dance
Subhanakar Chatterjee – vocal
Berndt Petroschka – pakhwaj, percussion
Kristina Neeser – Ttanpura

The sculpturesque, spiritual dance Odissi is an oldest Indian Classical dance form comes from 200 BCE. It’s a major ancient Indian Classical Dance form that originated in the Temples of Orissa-an eastern costal state of India. The enchanting dance postures of Odissi have been taken from the sculpture sculpted on the temple of Orissa. Before it was only used to present in the temple for the deity and others were not allowed to see the dancer. Later Padmabibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra the legendary Odissi dancer, Guru and an exponent who has popularized Odissi dance amongst in the audience all over the world in 20th century. The dancer describe different stories of Love, anger, betrayal, happiness, sorrow and sometimes the dance describe the beauty and the virtues of different Gods and Goddesses from ancient religious literatures.

1. Shantakaram
A mangalacharan an invocatory dance, this talks about Lord Vishnu who resides in the deep of the ocean, calm and peaceful with Adi Shesha (believe to be the ancient Serpent of the creation). His wife is goddess Laxmi and she has eyes like the lotus. Yogis can reach him through deep meditation and he removes fear, evil and suffering from life.

2. Shiva Tandava
Shiva Tandava is a Sanskrit hymn, that describe Shiva’s power and beauty. It was written and sung by the mighty Ravana. Tandava considers as the cosmic dance of Shiva.

3. Dhira Samire (Abhinaya-depicting a story)
This is an Ashtapadi taken from the famous poet Jatadeva’s Geeta-Givinda book, the poetry in this book describe the relationship between Radha and Krishna. The poem ‘Dhira Samire’ describe the worldly emotions of love, passion and jealousy and to
understand the essence of this poem, we need to look beyond the simple human emotions of our existence.
It is saying: A friend of Radha tells to her, the state that Krishna is in, as he sits on the bank of the Yamuna River calling radha’s name on his flute, anguished by the separation. The friend convincing Radha to go to Krishna that too when she is deeply in love with Krishna as well, yet she brings Radha and Krishna back together.

4. Saveri Pallabi
Pallavi is a pure dance that doesn’t depict a story. Pallavi means blooming.The dancer elaborates faster permutation and combination with the help of the melody. This Pallabi based on the Raga Saveri.

5. Leela Nidhi (Abhinaya-depicting a story)
This story is in Oriya language, Oriya is the language of Orissa. This tells about two lovers. The girl who has came to take a bath in a lake and her lover came to her and hides her saree and denied to give it back. She is saying to her lover:
“my dear, please give back my saree which you have hidden, I feel shy without it. You are the love of my life and heart but if anybody sees me like this, they will laugh and gossip about us. I plead to you for thousand times now, I have to get ready before I go, I have to make my hair and put flower in it, I will draw a kumkum tilak on my forehead, please my dear get me ready soon and let me go.” Finally the boy gives back the saree to his beloved, and she wraps it on herself and went back with a shy smile.

6. Moksha
Moksha means spiritual liberation; in Odissi it’s a concluding dance piece of the recital. At the end of the recital the dancer surrender herself/himself to the ultimate energy just like our soul reunite with the ultimate after our human life experience.

Koncerten er arrangeret af KoncertKirken med støtte fra Statens Kunstfond og KODA Kultur.

Billetter a 180 DKK / Stud. 100 DKK i døren fra 19.30.