Mudra is the only thematic dance festival of the NCPA which is presented around International Dance Day every year. Previously, Mudra has been curated on themes like motherhood, colours, bhakti poetry, animal movements, etc. This year, it explores a very unique theme—churning within and around. History has witnessed many churnings—the Partition, natural disasters and pandemics.
In 2022, the event looks back and asks some pertinent questions. What is poison? What is amrit? And what have we gained in pursuit of it?
This festival looks at dance presentations featuring these learnings that over time have made humanity stronger and wiser. The event will include performances, lecture-demonstrations and more around the concept of samudra manthan. as well as more recent churnings.
Here's the line-up:
Storm Before the Calm by Rama Vaidyanathan & Ensemble and Churning - Within and Around by Shama Bhate and Nadroop will take place at the Little Theatre on April 22, at 6.30pm.
Transformations in Your Form Since Independence, a lecture-demo by Darshana Jhaveri, Shama Bhate, Sandhya Purecha and Mandakini Trivedi will take place on April 24, 11am onwards at Little Theatre. This will be followed by a book launch on Mohanrao Kallianpurkar written by Shama Bhate. In the evening, Chaya Mukhi a Mohiniyattam performance by Gopika Varma, Nrityaganga - Innovation Birthed from the Churning of Tradition by Sucheta Chapekar and Kalavardhini Dance Company will take place at 5pm.
Bimbavati Devi and Manipuri Nartanalaya will showcase Footprints in Blood on April 30, 2022, post which Subhajit Khush Das will perform Manasa. Wrapping it up will be a Kuchipudi performance by Sreelakshmy Govardhanan from 6.30pm onwards.
