Culled from Jaina Philosophy, ANEKANTA’s mool-mantra is that there are multiple realities to every issue – cultural, political, social, and economic, in fact, every aspect of life and living! ANEKANTA celebrates the acceptance of multiple truths and embracing diversity. The performance has been guided by intellectual inputs from author Smt. Sudhamahi Regunathan, a renowned Jaina scholar. CREDITS: Choreography: Geeta Chandran Music: K. Venkateshwaran and Dr. S. Vasudevan Rhythmic inputs: Karaikudi K. Sivakumar, Lalgudi R. Sriganesh Vocal: K. Venkateshwaran, Dr. S. Vasudevan, Radhika Kathal Costumes: Sandhya Raman Stage Design: Manish Kansara Lights: Sharad Kulshreshtha Make-up: Brij Mohan Gupta, Sher Singh DANCERS Geeta Chandran, Sneha Chakradhar, Sharanya Chandran, Divya Saluja, Anjana Seshadri, Pranita Choudhry, Amritha Sruthi Radhakrishnan, Radhika Kathal, Madhura Bhrushundi, Aakanksha Kumar, Shreya Dua, Kaveri Mehta, Aditi Balasubramaniam and Sowmya Narayanan.
In this archival video from 2014, Dancer Geeta Chandran with her Natya Vriksha Dance Company perform RAAS for the National Creative Arts Festival, at the Stein Auditorium at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Celebrating Krishna’s beauty and his play with the gopis of Vrindavan, this piece is an original dance composition; conceived and created for performance by Dancer Geeta Chandran as a Senior Research Fellowship Awardee from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Performed initially as a solo performance, Dancer Geeta Chandran re-designed this piece also for group choreography. Using images from famous Raas Nritya paintings and treatises such as Harivamsha and the Bhagwat Purana, Geeta’s choreography celebrates beauty and devotion in prismatic ways. The libretto by Hitahari Vansh is set to Raagamalika and has been sung by Smt. Sudha Raghuraman. Soundtrack Credits: Nattuvangam: Guru S.Shankar; Vocal: Smt. Sudha Raghuraman; Mridangam: Shri Lalgudi R. Sriganesh; Flute: Shri G.Raghuraman Dancers of Natya Vriksha Dance Company: Sneha Chakradhar, Sharanya Chandran, Divya Saluja, Rashi Bijlani, Amrithasruthi Radhakrishnan, Radhika Kathal
In Indian philosophy the supreme reality has no gender; and all 3 genders belong to it. The term Siva may be expressed in any of the genders: Shiv –male; Siva-female and Sivam-neuter.
Geeta’s SIVAM is based on a poem by the well-known poet, translator and writer Dr. Chandra Rajan. The poem is based on the complexities of human existence and the search for aesthetic beauty and truth, both intrinsic to the arts.
Inspired by Dr. Chandra Rajan’s verse elaborates, Geeta has created the dance abstractions of SIVAM through the aural and visual medium of Bharatanatyam.
The word SIVAM has many connotations in Indian philosophy:
Sivam means Auspiciousness
It also means Consciousness – Chaitanya
Peace – Shantam
Purity – Suchi
Sacred-Pavitra
Well-being-Kalyanam
Deliverance-Moksha
SIVAM is the giver of life and energy; it is the cosmic force that pervades all our consciousness
It is all these concepts that the choreographer has woven into her interpretation of Dr. Chandra Rajan’s poem.
SIVAM, presented by the Natya Vriksha Dance Company
Choreography: Geeta Chandran
Dancers:
Geeta Chandran
with Sneha Chakradhar,
Sharanya Chandran
Mallika Bhargava
Radhika Kaw
Mansi Trehan