Dancing Widely

By Madhur Tankha - The Hindu - Chennai,India

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Padatik Dance Centre of Kolkata -- under the guidance of its director Chetna Jalan -- has been active on the dance scene for 25 years. Starting workshops with Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra in Odissi and Pandit Birju Maharaj in Kathak, it veered towards regular Kathak training under Pandit Vijay Shankar and has now formed a dance repertory.

This well-known group will present its novel works choreographed by Chetna Jalan at the Kamani Auditorium here on November 15 and 16.
Though trained in Kathak, Chetna Jalan's exposure to theatre, international dance and dance theatre led her to seek innovations in form as well as content. Her allegiance to and aspirations in Kathak, close encounter with contemporary dance, yoga, rope work that gives liberty to explore vertical space, and her training in Western dance exercise, have all made her do some new works.

Based on Chetna Jalan's vast experience, a wide array of items will be presented to enthral Delhi audiences.

"Swa Chhanda" was conceived as a series of solo dance performances utilising various "chhandas'. Sufi music-dance based on Sufi songs will imbibe the romantic ethos and spirituality of Sufism.

"Oscar Lopez" will be a classical Kathak performance with flamenco passion, while

"Rhythm Scape" will be a duet using contemporary and Kathak sensibilities.

"Rakho Tomar Uddato Paa" will be rope work incorporating space design, while

"Abani Bari Aachho" based on the famous poem of Shakti Chattopadhyay explores movements through acrobatics and balancing.

The members of the repertory are all trained in classical Kathak since their childhood and have also imbibed contemporary and other forms for creative expression.