When classical meets martial
Ileana Citaristi found a connect between her two loves — Odissi and Chhau
Question:
How did you decide to make Indian classical dance your calling?
I rst came to India in 1978 to learn Kathakali in Kerala for three months because I wanted to include some of its movements in my theatre work. I came back the very next year with the same intention — to stay in Odisha for six months to learn Odissi. After meeting guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, six months became six years. Finally, I decided to stay on forever.
Answer:
Q:You have settled in Bhubaneshwar. What made you make the city your home?
I was in Cuttack for 11 years. I moved to Bhubaneshwar only because guruji had also shifted. Initially, I did not like the city much. I was missing Cuttack. But once I knew Odissi was going to be a
A:lifelong pursuit, I purchased a land in the old part of the city near Bindusagar lake and built a house-cum-studio and a dance hall.
Q:How was it training under guru Kelucharan?
I was lucky to get the best gurus for both Odissi and Chhau. Kelubabu was a taskmaster, for whom only
A:perfection mattered. He was able to clarify all my doubts because he was the creator of what he was teaching. He was extremely creative and was always keen to discover and learn new things. There was so much to imbibe from him. My Chhau guru Sri Hari Nayak was always ready to teach and share his knowledge without expecting anything in
(From left) From Ileana Citaristi’s production ‘Sharira’; Ileana performing the Shiv Tandav; and the dancer at Perur Patteeswara Temple. return. He was proud of me since I began to be known for the Shiv Tandava piece that he gained expertise in as a young dancer.
Q:
How di erent is Mayurbhanj Chhau from Odissi?
I think the two forms are complementary to each other. They are both from the same soil and their basic stance, the tribhangi as it is called in Odissi and dharan in Chhau, is based on the same triple bending of the body. But the purpose for which the two styles were developed is dierent. Odissi was meant for the closed enclave of the temple as a form of prayer to
Jagannath, whereas Chhau was seen as a way to keep the body t for battle and was practised in the open space of the akhadas in the villages of Odisha. One can acquire strength and a sense of balance by learning Chhau, and grace and a sense of rhythm from
Odissi.
A:Q:Where do you see the classical arts in the present scenario?
There’s now renewed enthusiasm with more youngsters taking to classical arts.
A:They bring with them new ideas and a contemporary sensibility, which are essential for a tradition to evolve.
Q:You are also known for your enriching and well-designed workshops. Are they a way to reach out to youngsters?
Nowadays a lot of children are sent by parents to learn dance just for the sake of it. There is no proper motivation or knowledge about the training. Some of them discontinue unable to handle art and academic pressure. I would like parents to be more involved in the process so that they can encourage their children in the right way. Classical dance is a complete system of education, it does not relate only to body movement. It includes study of literature, music, mythology and philosophy. Unless there is proper understanding of its value, there is no point in wasting time
learning it.
A:Q:
Tell us about your current choreographic work. Usually, I present a new choreography every year at the Sangam festival held from September to October. I bring both my western and eastern sensibilities when I create a new work. I am now in search of a subject. You need to get inspired by something to create. I am looking around for that inspiration.
A: