Four Odissi dancers, Dia Shah, Kyrah Patel,Renee Jain and Rushika Shah presented their Odissi debut performance on 22nd July at the ISKCON auditorium, Mumbai, Juhu. It was quite an exciting experience for the dancers and their parents as the dancers were ascending the stage for the first time.

The Manch Pravesh was attended by a packed audience as they cheered the young dancers to dance well. The dancers are the disciples of accomplished Odissi exponent, Guru Dipali Tikam, who is the disciple of the veteran Odissi exponent and mentor Guru Jhelum Paranjape.

The dancers slowly and steadily commenced the performance with invocations to Lord Jagannath in the number Mangalacharan, followed with the pure dance Mohana Battu that incorporated Lord Batuka Bhairava, one of the 64 aspects of Lord Shiva and is danced in the Jhula Pahapata Tala with the musical instruments like Veena, Mardal, Flute and a pair of Cymbals. The dancers with a little nervousness were trying to render their best with utmost sincerity.

Jaydeva's ashtapadi "Hari Riha Mugdha" depicted the inter relationship with Radha and Krishna and the Ras Garba dance to enjoy the divine presence of Lord Krishna and in another Odia composition "Tolagi Gopa Danda" Radha complains about the mischievous pranks of Krishna but in Nachanta Range Shri Hari it is the joyous dance of the Lord with Radha and all the Gopis.

The concluding numbers were the Shiva Tandava in which Ravana lifts Mount Kailash and Lord Shiva is angry with his futile act, the Dashavatara depicted the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu who appears in different "avatars" to protect and save people from calamity and tragedy. After interval the four dancers Dia Shah,Kyrah patel, Renee Jain and Rushika Shah performed solo numbers and all the four dancers performed together to portray the last and final number of the evening Mokhsa, as the dancers experience eternal bliss and come closer to the Almighty.

The dancers received fine orchestral support from commendable singing by Jatin Sahu, Rohan Dahale for Mardal, Aparna Deodhar for Sitar, Vijay Tambe for flute,Guru Dipali Tikam for Manjira. The dignitaries present on the occasion were renowned Odissi exponent Guru Jhelum Paranjape, Marathi theatre personality Ajitem Joshi, Kuchipudi exponent and noted dance critic Guru Vijay Shanker and the compere for the evening was Dr Manjusha Rajarshi.

It was a delightful Odissi performance indeed.

By Guru Vijay Shanker