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Analysis of the dance conceptualization process of legendary Odissi guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra.
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Understanding
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatraʼs Choreography
Understanding Guru Kelucharan Mohapatraʼs Choreography July 31, 2004 Rohini Dandavate
As I reminisce the days of my training in Odissi dance, the
image that comes flashing in front of my eyes is the classroom
in Kala Vikash Kendra, reverberating with the sounds of
Guruji’s pakhawaj, the soft lilting music from Pundit
Bhubaneshwar Mishra’s violin and the resounding voice of Shri
Bala Krushna Das.
As one of the younger students, I was asked to observe these
three scholars composing and choreographing a dance drama.
Many such observation sessions followed in the course of my
training. As years rolled by, I had the privilege to learn
innumerable dance numbers choreographed by Guruji and participate in the numerous dance
dramas he choreographed on different occasions. These experiences provided me the windows of
opportunity to observe Guruji conceptualize, formulate, create and communicate through the
medium of Odissi dance.
At Kala Vikash Kendra and in Guruji’s home, our training in Odissi dance comprised of lessons
in theory and practice but the emphasis was to emulate Guruji’s technique. His teaching methods
in essence followed the Guru Shishya parampara, where in the student lived with the guru,
providing the opportunity for an in depth study. The shishya surrendered himself/herself to the
guru. All learners, irrespective of their background, were equal under the constant supervision
and tutelage of the guru. He planned lessons in pace with the students’ capacity to learn and
patiently molded every student. A devoted teacher, he spent umpteen hours in helping his
students develop the flow, flexibility, strength, vitality and grace in their performance. The
relationship between Guruji and his student was akin to the resonance between an artist and his
medium. Much like a potter or a painter molds or paints keeping in view the color, texture and
the ease of the material he works with, Guruji composed keeping in view the persona of the
dancer he worked with. The numerous Mangalacharans, Pallavis and Abhinayas composed with
dancers like Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kumkum Mohanty, his son Ratikant Mohapatra, to name a few,
carry the signature characteristic of each one of them. For a trained eye it might be possible to
recognize as whom the dance number was composed with.
Many a times, while learning dance I was faced with many simple questions such as: Why a
particular raag (melody) was chosen for the dance? How was the taal (rhythm) selected? Instead
of seeking clarification, I chose to observe my class fellows and listen to the class discussions.
However years later, when I took a class in improvisation and choreography in modern dance at
MIT in Boston, I was able to relate this learning experience to my training in Odissi dance. It
helped me to understand and analyze Guruji’s choreographic process with a perspective that was
free from the inhibitions and fear of questioning, which I grew up with. I was able to think about
Guruji’s choreography with a new set of questions, “ How did the dance relate to the theme and
the rhythm? What is the relationship between movement, gesture, shape, structure and music?
How is space defined and shaped by music and dance? How is form articulated? Is it translated
from one to other or complemented? If it is complemented, how does the performance space,
lighting, costumes, etc function in the synthesis?” In the following paragraphs I have tried to
recapitulate some of my reflections on Guruji’s creative process.
Guruji’s creative expressions are like a sculptor’s intricately chiseled carvings. The movement
ideas, the grace of the postures and refinement in the structure made every dance he created a
unique work of art. His imaginative mind was always curious and open to experience something
new. His ideas though rooted in tradition were projected in the most innovative manner. Odissi
dance for a long time was mostly a solo presentation. It was Guruji’s innovation when he
introduced group formations and group presentations choreographed in the Odissi style. The
photograph given below illustrates the image of goddess Durgha in a multidimensional approach.
http://www.srjan.com/eventprogram.aspx?eventid=4
Guruji’s inspiration for dance came from observing everything around him. He observed the
gaits of people, the flight of the birds, the crawl of the insects, the walk of the animals, traffic
jams, , the sway of trees and bushes even mundane activities like people stacking bags at railway
stations. He looked for patterns in those movements and translated what he learned into graceful
dance movements. During leisure he was often seen watching science fiction movies late into the
nights. He would seek visual inspiration for his own choreographies from the creative use of
forms and colors he found in these movies
Form and structure
Guruji had a strong mathematical intuition which is obvious in the basic framework of all of his
choreographies. During his 75th birthday celebrations, Kum Kum Mohanty, one of the leading
Odissi dancers, called Guruji a great mathematician. His work reflects a thorough understanding
of the principles of form and structure in nature. Much like the borders he drew on the floor of
his dance studio, Guruji’s dance creations, were like well-written essays with a clear beginning,
middle and end. While preserving the integrity of this ancient dance form, Guruji molded and
systemized simple feelings and random movements from everyday life and nature into
sophisticated expressive movements.
His organization and execution of balance, proportion, harmony, contrast, variety, transition,
sequence and climax maintain the unity between meaning and the form of expression. For
example, in Batu Nrutya, (a pure dance number in the Odissi repertoire) while he weaves
together the numerous dance poses carved on the walls of the various temples of Orissa, he also
lends his personal touch to the basic movement ideas, designs and phrases of Odissi dance. As
one of the first numbers to learn in the Odissi repertoire, Batu Nritya enables the dancer to
comprehend and grasp the flow and language of movement in Odissi dance. The definite
structure and expressions complement the development of its content.
Dance and Music
Guruji’s dance choreography generally followed a music driven process, in other words:
• Music was composed prior to his dance choreography and the musicians accompanied during
the final performance. Using recorded music was not the norm.
• Music was composed and was recorded in most cases for reference purposes.
While Guruji was one of the architects of the contemporary Odissi form, Pundit Bhubaneshwar
Mishra was the music composer of the Odissi repertoire. Mishraji’s music composition and
Guruji’s dance choreography synthesized and yet maintained their own original imprint in the
collaborative creation. It was a complementary relationship, where the music composition and
dance choreography maintained a fine balance. Their collective creativity inspired and
contextualized the dance movements. Susanne Langer, a leading philosopher, said, “ Nothing has
an aesthetic existence without form. No dance can be called a work of art unless it has been
deliberately planned and can be repeated”. The music composition and Guruji’s choreography of
the numerous Pallavis, Mangalacharans and Abhinayas are meticulously planned and
choreographed. Guruji’s dance numbers are learned, taught and performed by generations of
Odissi dancers. His students all over the world to this date emulate the incorporation of diverse
rhythms, tempos, moods, geometrical patterns and flowing structure. The present day Odissi
repertoire reflects the ‘artistic vision’ and dedication that Guruji and Mishraji shared.
Form and content
Dance was not the only creative expression for Guruji. Creativity permeated in every facet of his
life. Day to day experiences caused him to react and act in an aesthetic way- whether it was
walking, making a pan, decorating the floor with patterns, doing makeup, wrapping a sari on
someone or even making a bed, he always had a flair for aesthetics. This aesthetic sensibility
reflected in the way he created dance numbers and movements. He could see, value and reason
the beauty in common things, events, ideas, and characters and transform this understanding into
his dance creations using his power of imagination. Though his dance was a consciously directed
activity its inspiration came from the mundane everyday experiences of life. His choreography
of the astapadis (songs) from the Geet Govind are an example of a highly developed form in
which the movements, body positions and gestures, though borrowed from everyday movement
patterns, have the power to arouse similar feelings and emotions in the audience. Guruji
combined his artistic vision and down to earth practicality to systemize random expressive
movements into creative, harmonious aesthetic art experiences.
Jaques D'Amboise, said “ Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythm of
your life. Its the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and
envy”. Guruji’s dance choreography truly brought out the essence, rhythm and joy of life.
Rohini Doshi-Dandavate holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration
from the Ohio State University. As an artist in the Arts in Education Program of the Ohio Arts
Council, she has conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations on Odissi dance for students
in schools and colleges in Ohio since 1994. She has offered courses in Odissi dance, as a Visiting
Faculty in Denison University in 2001 and continues to offer dance lessons. She received a
graduate degree in Odissi dance from Kala Vikash Kendra, College of Indian Dance and Music,
Cuttack, India. Her gurus are Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Raghunath Dutta, Guru Ramani
Ranjan Jena, and Dr Menaka Thakkar.