Singapore-based Apsaras Dance Company is giving Bharatnatyam a new twist with Rasa!

Breaking away from the standard Bharatnatyam recitals, a classical Indian dance kind, Singapore-based Apsaras Dance Company, staged Rasa. Their distinctive take, staged on 18th February 2024 on the Sota Drama Theatre, was lauded by the viewers.

The 5 rasas or feelings used within the manufacturing had been Adbhutham (marvel), Veeram (bravery), Hasyam (laughter), Bhayanakam (worry) and Shringaram (love).

Connected to India caught up with Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director, Apsaras Dance Company, shortly after the premiere. Excerpts from the chat:

How did the present come about?

In paying tribute to our Founder, Mrs Neila Sathyalingam, on her delivery anniversary month, now we have been working the “Remembering Neila Sathyalingam Festival” since 2020. This yr marks the fifth version of the pageant and we needed to characteristic the scholars of the Apsaras Arts Academy, one which she institutionalised in 1977.

To conceptualise an unique manufacturing somewhat than churn out one among her older productions felt like a becoming tribute to have fun her ethos of regularly innovating and creating new works.

Who conceptualised the present?

The present was conceptualised by me. I labored with a artistic crew kind India, comprising scholar and writer, Dr V R Devika who researched the tales for the manufacturing; dance artiste and scholar Dr Anjana Anand, who choreographed the dance items and took the creative imaginative and prescient ahead. Shri Sheejith Krishna and Shri Embar Kannan produced the music for the manufacturing.

The present was a break from typical Bharatanatyam exhibits with the viewers figuring out precisely what’s going to observe, due to the host setting the context. Was this finished on function? Is it an Apsaras Arts experiment?

Yes, it was very a lot our intention to have a storyteller take the viewers by means of the tales, because the dance items had been basically born out of fables, and we needed to retain the authenticity of an oral custom passing down.

The different sensible cause was additionally as a result of, we had been aware that greater than half the viewers had been attending a Bharathanatyam manufacturing for the primary time and taking this strategy may make it extra fascinating for them to understand the artform.

Tell us a bit concerning the age and background of the dancers concerned in RASA!

Rasa! featured dancers principally from the ages of 14 – 26, with a studying backgrounds from 5 years up.

Will RASA! be staged sooner or later as effectively?

Certainly. We made a aware effort to select secular tales that could possibly be communicated by means of dance and could possibly be loved by all ages in order that a number of audiences would recognize it. There are plans to re-stage the present.

Apsaras Arts has different exhibits as effectively, which it showcases in Singapore and different elements of the world, will RASA! be part of the Apsaras Arts worldwide repertoire?

This is nonetheless early levels. It will certainly be added to the portfolio and when the necessity arises, this manufacturing might tour.

How many exhibits of RASA! have been carried out until date?

The present in Feb was the premier version.