Courtyard Kutcheri

Early-arriving audience members for Mythili Prakash’s performance of Here & Now  were treated to a set of free performances in the foyer beforehand. Presented by Anusha Subramanyam of Beeja in conjunction with Dance Umbrella, the performances were by local dancers, and by the Hindustani classical singer Prachi Ranade.

Sankari Mridha, Vinod Nair and Meenakshi Ravi presented pieces (the last two dealing with aplomb with the sudden and unplanned appearance of children in their performance space) which showcased different aspects of bharatanatyam. Pallavi Anand’s abhinaya was excellent for those concentrating, but one suspects its more subtle aspects were lost in the somewhat rowdy surroundings. The highlight was a very cleanly-executed choreography of joint mohiniattam and bharatanatyam dancers by Upahaar School of Dance.

However, the best part of the Courtyard Kutcheri was its accessibility and its relationship with the audience: passers-by became interested and stopped to watch, and a bevy of babies at the front were determined to dance alongside the performers. It was a welcome reminder that no matter how exciting stage shows and professional performances are, dance resides in everyone; and it is often the outreachand the direct contact with people which has the greatest impact.