Productions

“Dushasan Bas Karo” to a poem of Dr LM Singhvi – Environment issue using the Draupadi episode

Is there a parallel between the de-robing of Draupadi and environmental consciousness? For the first time in 1990, this unique relationship was brought out by Shovana Narayan in a unique rendition of the eminent jurist Dr LM Singhvi’s poem “Dushasana Bas Karo”. Dushasana attempts to de-robe / strip Draupadi in the open royal court in an attempt to humiliate the Pandavas but Draupadi is miraculously saved by Lord Krishna. Draupadi has been symbolically likened to Mother Earth whose environmental cover is being constantly stripped and she is being ‘de-robed’ by greedy mankind. Who is our Lord Krishna today to deliver Mother Earth from this act?

           Presentation: Solo + Also presented as a Group composition

           Duration: 10 minutes

“Das Kalika” (10 Forms of Goddess Kali)

Goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil and the slayer of the demons who troubled her human devotees, has been described in the scriptures as assuming ten forms. These are Kali, Matangi, Chhinnamasta, Shamshan, Bagalamukhi, Bhairavi, Tara, Shodashi, Kamala, Dhumavati. They are also called the Dasha Mahavidya Kali or the sisterhood of Tantric goddesses. Every avatar of goddess Kali has some significance. Kali is also known as Adishakti or Kundalini Shakti that is the soul power or light that makes the Universe live but can also burn it. These ten forms were presented utilising ten different ragas as well as talas.

           Presentation: Group composition/ Mini ballet

           Duration: 30 – 40 minutes

Duet with a Spanish Flamenco Dancer (Vienna)

This remarkable evening brought out several similarities in the two dance forms.

           Presentation: Multi style

           Duration: 40 minutes to 1 hour

“Darpan” (poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar) – theme of environment

Self-introspection of what mankind, in the name of development, has done to the world is the key theme of the evocative poem Darpan (Mirror) of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. With the philosophical bent of mind and imbued with the spirit of soulsearching, Shovana expressed and emoted her feelings through an arresting choreography with her Asavari ensemble, utilizing masks in one section, to show the robotic individuals that the world was generating.

           Presentation: : Solo + Also presented as a Group composition

           Duration: 25 minutes

“Om: Cosmic Dance of Creation” (on Vedic shloka and Ravan’s Shiv stotra

Identified with Shiva in Indian mythology, His Rhythmic Play, the tandava, is the source of all movements within the cosmos. This piece celebrates the birth of movement and hence dance, through the ode to Lord Shiva, considered the Cosmic dancer. For the show at Kamani auditorium, Shovana used two of her old items based on the tandava stuti “Jatatavigalajjala ...” written by Ravana in praise of Lord Shiva and the meditative Riga Vedic Chant of “Om karam bindu sanyuktam” to create the item OM: The Cosmic Dance of Creation. This item, for the first time ever in Kathak, started with all dancers showing their backs to the auditorium (as till then, showing of the back was considered unacceptable).

           Presentation: Solo + Also presented as a Group composition

           Duration: 10 minutes

“Muktilekha” (On Human Rights issues)

Man is born free. Each man is equal in dignity and rights. And yet, social structures have forced some into bonded labour and turned few into the ruling class. Shovana raised her voice against such discriminatory society which violates the rights of human beings, for the gain of another in her ballet “Muktilekha” based on concepts provided by eminent jurist Dr LM Singhvi. In this particular ballet, the choreographer in her took up the global issue of human rights and handled it successfully. In fact this production can be counted as “Gesamtkunstwerk” perspective of Richard Wagner.

Not only the content and theme of the ballet, but also the use of universal music, no change of costumes but only change of colours of the dupatta to show different classes of people (oppressed and the oppressor), performing to without ghunghuroos, became trendsetters.

           Presentation: Group composition/ Dance ballet

           Duration: 35 minutes

Tagore’s “Nrityer Tomara Tale Tale”: 

In the Sanskritik Festival at London, poems of Rabindranath Tagore such as Nrityer Tomara Tale Tale and others were performed.

           Presentation: As a Solo + Also presented as a Group composition

           Duration: 15 minutes

Agni Pariksha – Three perspectives (Balmiki’s Ramayana – Tulsidas’s Ramcharitamanas and contemporary Hindi poem)

Balmiki’s description of Sita’s Agni Pariksha, Tulsidas’s description of the same episode and a contemporary view of the very same episode formed the central theme of the production. It highlighted the poet's approach from ancient period, to the 16th century and then to the 20th century to the situation that ranged from the point of view of a contemporary, of a devotee and of an enquiring mind respectively. This was premiered in the Central Park Dance Festival of the Delhi Govt where it received thundering applause from the audience, both invited and the common man who were part of the spectators.

           Presentation: As a Solo + Also presented as a Group composition

           Duration: 25 minutes

“Sujata” (1988) – from Buddha’s life

The issue of caste discrimination has always moved Shovana. The questions raised by Buddha’s initial refusal of taking meal from Sujata raised several questions? Was it to do with her comparatively lower born status or cast than that of the ascetic or was it a gender issue. This enquiry resulted in the dance production “Sujata”.

           Presentation: As a Solo + Also presented as a Group composition/ mini ballet

           Duration: 18-20 minutes

Schubert’s “Der Tod und Das Maedchen” (Western Classical composition and Kathak)

During the course of the one hour film on Shovana Narayan by ORF titled “Das Geheimnis des Indisches Tanz” , the German Film Director Joern Thiel, exhibited the improvisatory aspect of Kathak through abhinaya to a German poetry and to Franz Schubert’s musical composition “Der Tod und Das Maedchen” (Death and the Little Girl).

           Presentation: Group composition

           Duration: 20 minutes

Khayal Bandish:

Performing to chhota and bada khayal bandishes became familiar features in Shovana Narayan’s performances such “Kaisi nikasi chandni” or “Meha re ban ban daar daar” etc.

           Presentation: Group composition

           Duration: 20 minutes

“East Meets West” (1987) with Western Classical Ballerina in Austria (Kathak and Western Classical Ballet)

For the first time ever, an Indian classical Kathak dancer, Shovana Narayan performed a duet with a Western Classical ballerina, Andrea Campianu in various Austrian Festivals.

           Presentation: Multi-Style

           Duration: 1 hour