05 - 07 July, 2024 - SAMSKARA, Past Reflections, Present Expressions

Dear Friends,
Samskara by Geetha Shankaran-Lam and Jayashree Jeganathan supported by Hariraam Ting Yuan Lam (Carnatic vocalist & violinist) & Deepa Okade (visual artist), was an intense ‘sharing’ that struck a chord with the audience. Though Samskara used Bharatanatyam as dance vocabulary, Geetha Shankaran-Lam and Jayashree Jeganathan also employed voice (text and live vocal) to communicate their message of transformation and empowerment through immersion in one’s art.
Coming to terms with ‘aging’ was a contention with the two dancers and ultimately we encountered them successfully forgetting their age and challenge of technique as they delved into their art which actually demanded maturity in its interpretation.
The intimate ambience of Sutra studio allowed the four dances featured to stir the imagination through the close encounter with the audience and the rich metaphors of Bharatanatyam. Samskara demonstrated the experience of spiritual and physical transformation the two matured dancers were seeking as they found balance in mind, body & spirit. They demonstrated that only when they allowed themselves to trust and embrace ‘the moment’ that this ‘sahaja’ yoga of Dance could be achieved. This was palpable on the third and last day when the ‘performance’ achieved the ‘one-ness’ for which Samskara endeavoured to strive.
Hariraam, who believed in fundamentally imbuing the technique of one’s artform before one is able to loose oneself in it, supported the performance with elegance and depth. Visual artist Deepa Okade added another dimension to this immersive experience of dance-theatre by sharing a compelling in-situ interpretation of her expressive figurative painting. The paintings executed nightly were displayed on the walls of the studio.
The moksha felt by the dancers spilled over to the audience, suffusing the space with the aura of camaraderie especially among the dancers and teachers present.
Sutra

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