On March 29, the Ferst Center for the Arts hosted “Āhuti,” presented by the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with the Chitrasena Dance Company.
“This is actually the last time this show is going to be performed in the United States. It’s been touring for several years, so it’s very special in that realm. That to me is very exciting,” said Nathalie Matychak, Assistant Director of Producing & Residency for Georgia Tech Arts (GT Arts) in reference to Āhuti’s U.S.-Canada tour.
Kandyan dance originated in Sri Lanka as a ritual called Kohomba Kankariya that is said to bring prosperity by preventing disease, curing illness and celebrating the harvest. Guru Chitrasena, the founder of Chitrasena Dance Company in the 1940s, adapted seven-day rituals of Kohomba Kankariya into the modern format of Kandyan performances we observe today. The dance is characterized by deep bending and upbeat, lunging lower body movement paired with smooth and graceful flowing arm movements.
Similarly to Kandyan dance, Odissi dance has deep and grounded leg work, but it is more characterized by elegant, static posing of the arms paired with charming facial expressions. Historically, Odissi dance originated in the coastal regions of southern India as a religious dance used to tell stories and myths, often centering around relationships between humans and the divine.
In 1990, the Nrityagram Gurukula was founded as a communal place to live and study Odissi dance. “Nrityagram” directly translates to “dance village,” and “Gurukula” means “school.”
Surupa Sen, the choreographer of the show, was the first graduate of the Gurukula, and she went on to found the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, which is now celebrated as one of the finest classical Indian dance companies in the world.
“The entire company lives in Bangalore, India together. Morning, noon and night, they study dance, and they live and work together. It’s very intensive — their entire life…
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