‘Indian classical dance is highly sophisticated’
A lot of Indian gurus have worked tirelessly towards preserving it and making sure that it’s taught to the next generation.
MADHURI UPADHYA, DANCER
Nritarutya — the storytellers of modern India, as they call themselves, are all set for their upcoming performance at the Prithvi Festival. Titled Sattvam, the performance symbolises the dialogue between different worlds. Choreographed by well-known sister-dancer duo — Mayuri Upadhya and Madhuri Upadhya, the performance will see dancers of Nritarutya take the stage. As the day of the show nears, we get Madhuri Upadhya to open up about the performance and the importance of dance in her life.
Tell us more about Sattvam...
Sattvam’s intent is to showcase age-old stories which are bold and imaginative in a contemporary context through dance and theatre. It is this vision that takes Nritarutya forward on a journey to tell the story of modern India, weaving Indian mythology, tradition and art. The philosophy of Nritarutya is ‘innovation in tradition’ and the company’s dance vocabulary has evolved over the years. Our mythology, folk tradition, symbolism, sculptures paintings, sacred texts, chants and our varied languages, are all our guiding force to interpret and contextualise for contemporary times. The audience can take back how this philosophy has been communicated through dance with four different stories in Sattvam.
When did you start learning dance?
I started my formal dance education at the age of eight in Bangalore (Karnataka), and yes, I was very interested in dance as I was a part of all the dance activities in school and college from the age of five. It was my mother’s dream that both, Mayuri and I become dancers and in some way, we are fulfilling her wish today.
Do you recall any memorable performance of yours?
One of my favourite performances was Make In India, that we presented in Germany at a trade fair called Hannover Messe for PM Narendra Modi, representing our country. The atmosphere was electric. While every foreigner gave a standing ovation, every Indian had tears in their eyes.
How long do you rehearse? Is there any discipline you follow?
I follow a regimen of yoga, running, and weight training on a regular basis. As my role has switched from being a dancer to a choreographer, the riyaaz has reduced compared to earlier days. But during the performance days, I used to rehearse for an average of five hours.a day, which is a combination of Bharatanatyam, contemporary dance and body conditioning.
Although it originated in India, a lot of Indians don’t prefer classical dance. How do you want to bring about a change?
The gap comes because people are not educated on the nuances of classical dance forms, which makes it difficult for them to understand. Indian classical forms are highly sophisticated and has been continuously evolving with time. A lot of Indian gurus have worked tirelessly towards preserving it and making sure that it’s taught to the next generation. At Nritarutya, we practice our traditional forms on a regular discipline, while constantly striving towards innovation, keeping the essence of our tradition alive.