Presented by Sunderland Stages in
association with GemArts and Kadam/Pulse
Gods & Mortals
Sunderland Minster
Friday 12th May 2017Gods & Mortals
Sunderland Minster
Gods And Mortals from the Odissi Ensemble features 4 dancers and 4 musicians
showcasing the classical dance born in the temples of eastern India. The collection of dance
routines delves into the relationship between the human and the devine. It is
brought to the North East through the collaboration of GemArts and Sunderland
Stages.
 |
| Odissi Ensemble - Photo: Simon Richarson |
Sunderland
Stages is a series that brings events to a variety of different spaces.
Tonight we are in the magnificent surroundings of Sunderland Minster - a venue
that’s not a stranger to hosting cultural events. Our last visit was to see Miracle!, an opera about being a
football fan. We witnessed how flexible the space can
be: seating is on three sides of a large dancing area.
The
show is also brought to the region by GemArts, the Gateshead based organisation who
bring culturally diverse arts to the region. Spirits were high in the GemArts
camp as last year’s Masala Festival had won an award in the Journal Culture awards the previous
night.
Odissi
is a dance style that tells a story through very graceful movements. The four
dancers show creative control and poise as they express their way through each
routine. Supporting the show are 4 wonderful musicians including Ranjana Ghatak
on volcals; Parvati Rajamani on spoken rhythms. Gurdain Rayatt was a show in
himself as he provided the rhythms on his percussion instruments. Adding a
blues twist to the sound was May Robertson on violin.
Two
dancers got a solo spot which featured their individual style. During Srita Kamala Elena Catalano was both
graceful and expressive in piece which is in praise of Lord Vishnu and his
incarnations. Kali Chandrasegaram had an
air of power and control during Bhagavati
Ashtaka. He reflected the balance between the feminine and masculine in a
highly engaging routine.
Kate
Ryan and Maryam Shakiba worked well together in Hari-lha which really worked well in the Minster and the lighting
design helped make the piece feel very special. The shadows formed on the wall
as they danced.
The
Odissi Ensemble created a spiritual evening that felt divine and it worked well
in this place of worship. The colourful display juxtaposed the contrast of Minster
and a series about gods & mortals. The live performance of the music added
an extra element to the show, supplemented by the bracelets and anklets of the
dancers jangling as they performed their work, adding to the percussion. Whilst working in unison and solo, the
graceful display was a pleasure to watch and is a wonderful addition to the
region’s culture.
Review
by Stephen
Oliver.
The
show next appears on Tuesday 25th
July 2017
as part of the Indika Festival at the Capstone Theatre in Liverpool - see www.milapfest.com
No comments:
Post a Comment