{"id":6924,"date":"2024-07-09T14:28:33","date_gmt":"2024-07-09T14:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/entertainment\/sakhi-ri-a-confluence-of-classical-dance-and-menstrual-awareness\/"},"modified":"2024-07-09T14:28:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T14:28:33","slug":"sakhi-ri-a-confluence-of-classical-dance-and-menstrual-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/?p=6924","title":{"rendered":"Sakhi Ri: A confluence of classical dance and menstrual awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Indian classical dance sees a variety of relationships between the nayika<\/i>, the female lead and her sakhi<\/i>, the often overlooked friend and confidante. Their friendship, characterised by tenderness, pain, conflict and compromise, is not easy to define. Presented by SIFF Young Artiste, Kathak-based dance-drama\u00a0Sakhi Ri<\/i>\u00a0explores this dynamic through a coming-of-age story of a Nayika and the Sakhi, her period. SIFF Young Artiste is an initiative of the Singhal Iyer Family Foundation (SIFF)<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is not always going to be smooth, but what stands true is that they (the Sakhi) are going to be a constant presence,\u201d says Anushka Chandak, a Kathak dancer, choreographer and faculty at SIFF Young Artiste. \u201cThat got me thinking about what else in my life I\u2019m grateful for, but also have complaints about. That was the menstrual cycle for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Anushka<\/div>\n

\nAnushka Chandak
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\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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Draped in red, personifying a woman\u2019s period or the Laal Sakhi, Anushka performed recently at Bangalore International Centre , alongside Radhika Karandikar, a Kathak artiste and the founder of Radha Productions. Her evocative expressions coupled with Anushka\u2019s fluid movements had the audience spellbound.<\/p>\n

Throughout her career, Radhika has always aimed to create productions which would interest younger generations. She argues that the claims of the art form\u2019s decrease in popularity, which many mourn as its \u201cdeath,\u201d are not entirely true. There is simply a lack of \u201crelatable concepts.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are very hesitant to explore themes like these. The traditionalist circle had a lot of concerns about how this would fit into a classical dance form,\u201d admits Anushka. However, the artistes believe Kathak can be used as a medium to tell any story.<\/p>\n

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\"\u00a0Radhika<\/div>\n

\n\u00a0Radhika Karandikar
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\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cDance is not just about movement; it\u2019s a language. Once you have learnt to use it well, you can say absolutely anything you want with it,\u201d adds Anushka.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sakhi Ri<\/i>\u00a0is a rollercoaster of emotions that illustrates the stages of this \u201cunending friendship,\u201d including happiness, worry, embarrassment, grief, curiosity and anger. The drama\u2019s focus on womanhood did not restrict its audience and the artistes were pleased to see several men in attendance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Journeying through adolescence, motherhood and menopause,\u00a0Sakhi Ri<\/i>\u00a0combined various rasas <\/i>(moods in classical dance) including hasya <\/i>(joy), karun <\/i>(sorrow), shringar <\/i>(beauty) and bhayanak <\/i>(fear). The drama strikes a balance between personal experience and social outlooks through its graceful delivery of traditional Kathak rapporteur \u2014 opening with a peshkar <\/i>and progressing to more fast-paced techniques such as tihais, jugalbandis <\/i>and gat vikas<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if someone is going to watch it without prior knowledge of Kathak or music, they are in for a treat,\u201d says Aman Warkhedkar, the composer for\u00a0Sakhi Ri.\u00a0<\/i>Through a vibrant blend of piano, violin, sarod and flute sounds, Aman captures the diverse experiences of womanhood, beginning with the panic and confusion of a first period. With percussion instruments such as the ghatam <\/i>and pakhawaj<\/i>, the score ventures into the spheres of sensuality and vulnerability, culminating with powerful vocals to encapsulate the trials of menopause.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Aman<\/div>\n

\nAman Warkhedkar
\n| Photo Credit:
\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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The composition also includes moments of silence that allow the artistes\u2019 footwork to shine. As Radhika frantically awaits her period, the strike of her heels, slowly increasing in tempo, mimic the ticking of a clock. <\/p>\n

Such scenes of anxiety are enhanced by Yash Potnis\u2019 skilful handling of stage lights, with flickering multi-coloured footlights replacing the steady, fervent red that characterises Radhika\u2019s tumultuous relationship with her Laal Sakhi.<\/p>\n

This collaboration between SIFF Young Artiste and Radha Productions does not just subvert the notion of periods as taboo, but also tests the boundaries of classical dance. \u201cIf we want to spread the art form, we need to think beyond mythology\u2026 I want to go beyond traditionalist stories,\u201d admits Shikha Mathur, a Kathak student who is grateful for\u00a0Sakhi Ri<\/i>\u2019s representation of unexplored subjects. <\/p>\n

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\"Scenes<\/div>\n

\nScenes from Sakhi Ri <\/i>
\n| Photo Credit:
\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Indian classical dance sees a variety of relationships between the nayika, the female lead and her sakhi, the often overlooked friend and confidante. Their friendship, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[16237,9814,16235,9812,16236,16234,16225,16233,16229,16231,16230,16226,16232,16228,16227],"class_list":["post-6924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-awareness","tag-classical","tag-confluence","tag-dance","tag-menstrual","tag-sakhi","tag-sakhi-ri","tag-sakhi-ri-aman-warkhedkar","tag-sakhi-ri-ananya-mehta","tag-sakhi-ri-anushka-chandak","tag-sakhi-ri-carol-worth","tag-sakhi-ri-dance-drama","tag-sakhi-ri-radhika-karandikar","tag-sakhi-ri-the-hindu-metroplus","tag-sakhi-ri-theme"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t