This haunting and disquieting episode from the Ramayana is based on Kalidasa’s play, Raghuvamsa. It tells how Rama, disturbed by rumours, decides to exile his pregnant wife, Sita. When Lakshmana, to whom the job is entrusted, reveals this to her, she is horrified and outraged. She asks Lakshmana to pose a single question to Rama: ‘I, who have been purified by the test of fire, you abandon me; is this what your education and royal lineage is worth?’ Many years later, when Rama discovers that Sita and his two sons have taken refuge in Sage Valmiki’s hermitage, he requests that Sita undergo a fire ordeal to prove her chastity. But Sita can brook this injustice no longer. She implores Goddess Earth to reclaim her. Rama pleads with his wife and the Earth Goddess, but it is too late.
Kutiyattam is the ancient classical dance theatre form from Kerala. Kapila Nagavallikkunnel, daughter of Mohini Attam danseuse Nirmala Paniker and Kutiyattam exponent Gopalan Nair Venu, is the disciple of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and has also trained under G Venu and Usha Nangiar. She is presently training under Kitangur CN Rama Chakyar. Her repertoire comprises both traditional performances and new experiments.
There will be a CHAURAHA discussion with the artist after the performance.
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Mudra Dance Week (26th to 30th April)
The Theme: STREE
International Dance Day (April 29) was instituted by UNESCO in 1982 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre (born 1727), a great reformer of dance. Around the occasion of International Dance Day, the NCPA presents Mudra Dance Week, a programme that offers a small but fascinating glimpse into the world of Indian dance today. The theme this year is Stree: Woman. Practitioners of various styles – from Manipuri to Nangiar Koothu, from Bharata Natyam to Kathak and Mohini Attam – reflect on the theme of woman in various ways. The artistes range from the promising to the seasoned, the classical to the contemporary.
A leading Manipuri dance troupe presents the classical, folk and martial aspects of its art, including a significant paean in praise of the mother goddess, Matrika. An acclaimed Nangiar Koothu exponent interprets the moving story of Sita’s fire ordeal. A sprightly Bharata Natyam dance group celebrates the verses of two great Indian women mystics: Andal and Meerabai. A well-known Mohini Attam dancer, committed to exploring the contemporary within the classical framework, focuses on Amrapali, the great courtesan and follower of the Buddha. And finally, a dynamic young Kathak dancer-choreographer-actor and her team celebrate the Devi and her manifestations in the modern world.
Welcome to an exciting week of dance at the NCPA!
A Kutiyattam Sanskrit Theatre Production
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