Nostalgia: Shanti Bose on stage (Picture by Sanat K. Sinha)

Ayoung boy came to this city from Kerala exactly 50 years ago. Since then his cultural dialogue with this metropolis has grown stronger and gained fresh impetus. Govindan Kutty set up Kalamandalam Calcutta, an institution for Bharatnatyam, Mohiniattam and Kathakali along with his wife Thankamani Kutty. The Kathakali maestro is now 78. To celebrate 50 years of his association with Calcutta, Kalamandalam, in association with the West Bengal State Music Academy and West Bengal Dance Group Federation, organised a dance programme at a packed-to-capacity Rabindra Sadan on July 19. It commenced with the felicitation of Guruji, veteran Shanti Bose and Gayatri Chatterjee, followed by various dance numbers on different styles.

Putanabadh, the inaugural item by R. Venkitt was simply outstanding. With elaborate grandeur of Kathakali costume and unbelievable feminine gestures, Putana came into being through Venkitt’s rich execution and soulful expression. However, the group performance by Kathakali Art Centre was neither technically sound nor visually attractive. Poushali Mukherjee presented Moksha, the climactic number of the Odissi repertoire. Bose’s Kartikeya was a nostalgia, while Chatterjee’s portrayal of Draupadi based on Krishna, a poetry by Sabyasachi Deb, reminded of her grace in her good old days. Controlled and dignified recitation by Gouri Ghosh enhanced the drama of the presentation.

Radha’s description in lasya and Shiva’s description in forceful cholam tandava were depicted by Poushali Chatterjee in Anangakshep. Choreographed by guru Bipin Singh, Chatterjee’s Manipuri exposition had the dignity and lyricism of this dance style. Basanti he bhubana mohini, composed by Anita Mullick in Bharatnatyam style was a delight to watch. It revealed her grasp of its grammar as well as her power of imagination to express Tagore’s insight through her dance.

Professionalism, poise and perfection ? these words describe Chitrabichitra, a dance production presented by the Upasana Centre for Dance at Rabindra Sadan on July 15. Choreographed by Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya, the presentation proved his prowess in this art form. The programme featured an array of group compositions.

Dressed in white and blue costumes, the dancers created various shapes like a circle, triangle and a straight line with their well-synchronised movements using tihai, tukra and paran. It exemplified artistic efforts toward a latent imagery within representational configuration. It was followed by Reminiscence, a performance by Rittika SomChowdhury, Parthapratim Das, Saswati Mukherjee and Nandini Pal, boosted by the haunting melody of Rakesh Chowrasia.

Paran Upakraman was a symphony of the Kathak style with fast rhythmic footwork. Based in teental, it was richly traditional and at the same time contemporary in presentation. All the four dancers in this item danced in fluid, swaying motions, reaching every inch of the large stage and yet maintaining poise and grace.

The concluding item of the evening was Bhumibhasit. Chhau and contemporary dance style, besides Kathak, were beautifully used to draw an awareness for greener earth.