Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The two-day event, Layapravah, ended with enthralling dance performances by Canadian and Manipuri artistes at Bharat Bhavan on Wednesday evening.
The event started off with a dance, Kismet, an Ocean in a drop, presented by Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre from Canada.
Kismet, Ocean in a drop, is a ritual transforming fate into destiny. It is presented in Zarif’s contemporary interpretation of Mugham that blends dance, music, and storytelling, which are inspired by Sufi and Shamanic rituals of nomadic societies. In it, words communicate the intellectual, music transmits the emotional, and dance conveys the physical aspect. These influences on the work are deeply rooted in Sashar Zarif’s nomadic ancestry.
The event ended with performance Meepao presented by Nachom Arts Foundation, Manipur, choreographed by Surjit Nonmeikapam .
Meepao is a dance in celebration of all the departed, especially the ones who are deemed inconsequential. Using minimal movements, Meepao invites the spectator into a space where dancers and non-dancers alike can join the celebration. It begins with simple movements of the feet.
The movements repeat, as though creating its own ritual, and find its depth and textures through synchronicity of bodies dancing together to the beat of live music. They slowly transcend into a liminal space where the living (mee) convey a message (pao) of harmony. The event was presented by Asia Pacific Chapter under World Dance Alliance.
