As the name signifies in Sanskrit, ‘Samanvaya’
is " a coming together". In this
presentation, two of India’s most eminent
classical dancers, Alarmel Valli and Madhavi
Mudgal, have come together in a joint creative
experience. In Samanvaya, the dancers have
tried to find a common ground for dance articulation
- to discover new dimensions, while at the
same time retaining the uniqueness of their
respective dance styles. The geometrical linear
structure and dynamism of Bharatanatyam and
the sensuous lyricism and graceful ebb and
flow of movement in Odissi, are set within
a common framework. The distinct textures
and nuances of each form serve as contrasts
and foils to each other, thereby enhancing
their intrinsic characteristics.
Most significantly, their work together
seeks to explore parallel expressions of the
deeper common structure underlying all dance
expression. Such a presentation understandably
calls for a shared aesthetic perception. Alarmel
and Madhavi have enjoyed discovering new idioms
of expression within their respective forms
- to weave a fabric as it were, using the
wrap and weft of Bharatanatyam and Odissi.
‘Samanvaya’ has been presented
to wide acclaim, in major theatres in India
and abroad - at the Theatre de la Ville in
Paris, the Theatre Nationale of Clairemont-Ferrand,
Le Quartz Theatre at Brest, The Edinburgh
International Festival, The Esplanade Theatre
for the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society
Festival, The Bruges Festival, The India Festival
in Belgium, and in theatres across France,
Poland, Spain, Hungary and for Sadhona in
Bangladesh.
“ ‘Inspired’….is
truly appropriate for conveying what is generated
on-stage when Madhavi Mudgal and Alarmel Valli
dance together. Because what you see in their
programme of solos and duets is a channelling
of life force, and an ecstatic celebration
of the senses that connect us to the turning
world. And though their choreographies deftly
declare the nuances of style that distinguish
Odissi…. from Bharatanatyam,…
what catches the eye is how both radiate open
delight in executing the intricate details
of footwork, gesture and facial expression
that marry the complex rhythms being woven
by talented musicians…-Mary Brennan,
The Herald, Edinburgh
“Indian classical dance genres rarely,
if ever, meet and mingle on stage. Alarmel
Valli and Madhavi Mudgal’s collaboration
Samanvaya flew gracefully in the face of tradition
by juxtaposing the respective performance
styles of these two world-class dancers…..The
dancers, each radiating a mature beauty, danced
together like spiritual sisters….”
Donald Hutera, ‘The Times’, Edinburgh
