Nataraj Performance Repertoire

Odissi: Temple dances of India
A performance of traditional dance repertoire as prescribed many centuries ago by the Kings and Priests of the Lord Jagannath temple in Orissa, continues today. Elaborate costumes, devotional music, thrilling percussive rhythms and tinkling ankle bells transport the audience through time and space, imparting an understanding of the devdasi ritual that was practiced centuries ago in India. Today the dancers perform on public spaces, the traditional Orissi repertoire of dances still follows a prescribed sequence:

Mangalacharan: A dance to create a sacred space through an offering of flowers, to meditate on the deity and acknowledge the importance of the Guru and the clan. This dance is traditionally dedicated to Lord Ganapati, the elephant headed God, who removes all obstacles.

Batu Nritya: A dance depicting the lineage of dancers as inscribed on the temple walls of dancers in sculptured movements. The dance honors the God Shiva, who is said to have created dance.

Pallavi: Interweaving music and movement with expression to create a dance that shows the lyrical and graceful style is a distinct characteristic of Odissi. Sometimes, poetry can be incorporated. Generally, the vocals are sung or chanted in mnemonic syllables, copying the sounds of the drum but with classical melodic patterns.

Sabhinaya: Songs from the Gita-Govinda are the prescribed Sanskrit religio-erotic text for the Odissi dance as they recount the love of the God Krishna with his consort Radha. The songs composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva re-tell the legends of Krishna's life and his relationship with mortals.

Moksha: Traditionally, the closing dance of the classical repertoire it signifies becoming one with God.


Many new and older revived dances are also now included in the repertoire.

Dance Dramas: Within its repertory, Nataraj Dancers have the following major dance-theater productions:

Gita-Govinda:
The Song of the dark Lord by Jayadeva. An allegorical love poem about Krishna and Radha.

Devi:
Based on the Hindu scriptural text Devi Mahatmyam, the production highlights the dramatic legends of the great goddess Durga/Kali, Destroyer of Demons and Protector of Mankind.

Chandalika:
A famous Bengali tragedy by India's Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore showing the futile attempt of an untouchable girl to rise above her caste.

Bhanusingher Padavalli:
A series of seasonal songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

Moksha:
A compelling story of a western-trained dancer, her inner struggles with contemporary life patterns, of visions and understanding philosophy of life through Indian dance ritual. Beyond physical movement is the dance of the Mind; beyond that is Moksha, Liberation.

Raga Mala:
The Nine Jewels is a dance theater production that draws its inspiration from the traditions of Sanskrit drama amd Miniature paintings in India dating from the 15th to 20th centuries. The selected nine paintings act as representations of nine human emotions that are brought to life as short vignettes within the frame of a play.

Pooja:
The Five elements in Prayer A work depicting the creation of the Universe in a juxtaposition of dance, theater, sculpture, poetry and narrative. The work is a based on a sculpture of four charred trees by Japanese sculptor Thomas Matsuda.

In Praise of Tara:
Indo-Tibetan Tantric Dance Theater Dance of the Deities: A series of dances and theatrical scenes that highlight the essence of prayer common to India, Nepal and Tibet through Hinduism and Buddhist worship. Scenes depict life of Sakyamuni Buddha from his miraculous birth to his renunciation and prominent Tibetan Deities.

Mudra:
Celebrating their 25th anniversary On November 1, 2007 Nataraj Dance Company under the leadership of its founder and artistic director Ranjanaa Devi, premiered its newest dance theater production at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Mudra is a spectacular work linking dance, live music and theater through a series of arresting scenes. Drawing upon ancient ritual, dialogue, poetry, and image, Devi creates a remarkable visual tapestry of ideas that are expressed through gestures -- (abstract and literal), movements and spoken words. Mudra will expose the audience to the sheer beauty, power and skill of the hand; it will highlight the importance of the hand as a part of the human body and will show how the fingers help to express thoughts and emotions in their fullest sense.

Mudra is the Sanskrit word for a hand gesture depicting a thought, an idea or a word in classical Indian dance. Used in narrative and poetic dance sequences, Mudras uniquely tell the story in a literal way making the words of the song almost inconsequential for those educated in Indian classical dance. Mudra is also contemporary, as simple and complex hand gestures are used by people as a tool for communication on a daily basis. Mudra includes Nataraj dancers, guest musicians, dancers and theater and video artists as in this production.



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