The rhythm and flow of Dakshina
By Devaksha Moodley (Guest Writer)
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, 3 September 2019
Monday evenings are not usual for live performance but this week, the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience saw the Dakshina / Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company take the stage at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. Hailing from Washington, USA, Dakshina is a leading dance company that fuses two seemingly separate, but actually quite harmonious, dance styles: Classical Indian Bharata Natyam and American Modern Dance.
Presenting five distinct pieces, the talented performers showcased the power of dance to tell moving stories through the body. While most of the dancers in the company are not trained in Bharata Natyam, they proved most adept and certainly honoured this traditional dance form that is highly regarded in South African Indian and dance communities. This can be seen in the first piece Vasanth which tells the story of Vasanta, the Goddess of Spring, returning to earth to plant the seed of love in Shiva for Parvati. Using bright costumes and visual imagery, the dancers beautifully showcased how the flow of contemporary dance can perfectly match the precise rhythm of Bharata Natyam. This was the standout piece of the evening and was well received by the audience.
Rachel Prem, the classically trained Bharata Natyam dancer in the company, further showed the expressive beauty of the ancient dance style in two solo pieces: Ethanai Bhavam is about Bharata Natyam itself and how its detailed movements and music are actually a form of gestural storytelling. While Kanna Nee Thoongada is a lullaby for Lord Krishna. Prem, a most captivating performer, is an admirer of Krishna in this story. She captures the mischievous banter between them through not just movement but also the vivid facial expressions that are an essential part of Bharata Natyam.
In Dakshina’s two modern dance pieces, ODE and Lyric Suite, the freedom that comes with contemporary dance was displayed. In ODE, the dancers take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. A celebration of dance can be seen as the performers, in gorgeous and flowing costumes, freely dance with joy, relishing in Vivaldi’s dramatic symphony. Lyric Suite is a re-staging of iconic American modern dancer Anna Sokolow’s work. In solo, duet and ensemble pieces, the dancers move within certain shapes, designed with lighting, showing the constraints and freedoms of space, the body and human connections.
Founding artistic director Daniel Phoenix Singh’s mission is for people to enjoy the hybrid of Bharata Natyam and contemporary dance styles. Dakshina means “offering” in Sanskrit and the gracious and passionate spirit the dancers gave to the audience was definitely felt and embraced on this lovely Monday evening in Durban. We will hopefully be treated to more partnerships between JOMBA! and Dakshina in the future.
The Jomba! Fringe, an offering of 9 short choreographic works sets fire to the Sneddon stage on Wednesday 4 September. Book through computicket, or buy your ticket at the door one-hour before the show.
