Modern classics
Husband- wife duo pens stories and teams them up with classic Bharatnayam to interest the youth
Without deviating from the purity and chastity of the grammar of Bharatnatyam, we try to bring relevance in the context of the stories
Change is not only a constant, but an absolute must. Now, classical dancer Savitha Sastry tells us why Bharatnatayam too must change.
“The idea is to take it to the new generation, who aren’t really connecting to it,” she says.
The ardent dancer has teamed up with her writer husband, A. K. Srikanth for the mission of “modifying” the dance form. So, the husband- wife duo aim to bring about a renaissance in the traditional dance form by marrying the aesthetics of Bharatnatyam with the power of an intelligent and novel storyline.
“Without deviating from the purity and chastity of the grammar of Bharatnatyam, we try to bring relevance in the context of the stories being narrated,” says Savitha.
The couple, through their organisation, Sai Shree Arts, presents Bharatnatyam in the format of a dance theatre to help it connect to both connoisseurs and those unaware of the nuances of the dance form.
“We take classical dance forms to youth by showing them its beauty in a way they understand. If they see a relevance, they will pause, reflect and admire its beauty. We are presenting stories that belong to these ages, as opposed to bygone eras, that have relevance to the thought of today’s generation, and are completely divorced from any particular religious or mythological ideologies,” she says.
“We also incorporate new- age audio- visual technologies to help the audience connect with every minute they choose to spend at my show,” she says.
She talks about how her latest production, Soul Cages questioned the concept of a heaven through the eyes of a six- year- old. Her current production, Yudh examines “what is right” and “what is wrong” from three very different perspectives.
“These are intelligent stories that are well appreciated by today’s generation, because it stimulates them to think, rather than be passive observers to a mythological drama. And yet, it does not attempt to be complicated which would leave the audience wondering what hit them,” she adds.