Mythili Prakash and her ensemble performed She is Auspicious on the evening of September 8 at the Jeanne Wagner Theatre, under the auspices of Utah Presents and Nitya Nritya Foundation. To the terms “avant-garde,” “bold,” and “original” used to describe Mythili Prakash's production, I would add “candid” and “forthright” to capture the essence of her performance.
As the lights slowly fade in, the audience witnesses Mythili balancing effortlessly on a low platform under a makeshift marquee as a montage of movements evoke the eight-armed Goddess Durga. She assumes the character of the sculptor judging the results of his work. He shapes her eyes, her breasts, her waist line, and stands back to adjust a curve here, a line there, and to look at his own creation. With this simple metaphor Mythili draws a parallel that for centuries women have been unconsciously shaped by patriarchal mythologies. The dancer is starkly attired, no jewelry in sight, eschewing even earrings. She wears a white cotton practice sari draped simply (in pronounced departure from the usual Bharatanatyam performance aesthetic) — a powerful statement in and of itself.
Completed as a sculpture, this Goddess steps off the pedestal…
Photos by Chuck Bigger.
Down into the real world which worships Her and celebrates Her, adores Her and bows down to Her — but simultaneously we see the struggles to be a mother, a wife, a woman. A vignette that stayed with me was the gradual morphing of the desperate mother who almost loses control attempting to calm her child, then regains composure, lulls her child to sleep in a cradle. Slowly the rocking hand transforms, displaying unabashed desire coursing through Her body… and then yet again to Goddess, warrior, woman defending herself and others. The subtle changes of body language and expression and the small intuitive details that she embodies completely and effectively transmit the story of Her transformation, and are a mark of the artist's virtuosity. The minimal use of hand gestures (Pathaakam/Kuvicha Pathaakam) transformed ever so subtly from a soft-petalled lotus to sword-wielding, to gestures of intimacy and yearning, to a benediction, a shield, a protective hand, a nurturing hand… It was hypnotic, unerringly eloquent, riveting. By the end of that sequence this author was bawling.
Justice in her core and shoulder sheathed in valor
Thus imbued is She, a gracious gem.
Our many woes fragile like flammable cotton
Her mere glance sets ablaze.
Vanquishing hate, hostility and enmity
O' people around the world
Proclaim your surrender to Her hallowed name
Sakthi Om Sakthi Om Sakthi Om
Above is a translation of the first stanza of a beautiful poem by Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi in praise of the Goddess. The singing was unadorned like the dancer, and thus all the more poignant. When the words Sakthi Om rang out, I could discern glimpses of devotional surrender, juxtaposed against the forces of worldly resistance like a tug of war between the roles of a mother and a wife, of a devotee, and a distraught, overburdened woman.
The main inspiration for the lyrics of this piece is Mathe Malayadwaja — a gorgeous Daru Varnam composition that praises and highlights the dichotomies embodied by the Goddess as a mother and a daughter, as a slender sylph who is fiercely combatant, and as the dark-skinned central light of the universe.
The all female ensemble of musicians and other dancers now make their way onto the stage, as the ladies decorate the marquee, the floor in front, sing praises of the Goddess and celebrate Her. Her hand is held out in blessing. Then the process of change begins - she is hidden from view and when she reappears it is as a sparsely adorned figure, but adorned nevertheless and in traditional Bharatanatyam attire. As the Goddess prepares to be paraded amongst the celebrants, her role as a mother suddenly intervenes. She must resolve conflicts amongst her sparring children, one hungry for food, the other for attention, unwilling to let their mother go until they fall asleep. After she addresses their demands, She is finally ready, one is compelled to wonder, Where is the father amongst all this chaos? While She is desperately balancing her duties — and the desperation was visible — the blurring of lines between Goddess, mother, and woman were paradoxically clear and unmistakable.
This Goddess finally steps forth, and a seemingly male figure beckons her to ascend her pedestal once again. Ascend She does, but to reject the embellishments and to morph with fury into an avenging warrior, unrelentingly fierce and razor focussed on the destruction of all evil... The energy of this section was electrifying and palpable throughout, with the other dancers giving an ever stronger, ever faster rhythmic drumming on the stage floor, on the sides of the movable garment rack that were used as a prop on the stage. Here the performance of the rest of the ensemble becomes absurdist, subverting our aesthetic expectations. The accompanying dancers became increasingly agitated and frenzied on stage, as though possessed perhaps to reflect the inner state of the Goddess who wreaks havoc on evil, but has uncontrollable rage in the process. The destruction She wrought is manifested on stage by the physical collapse of the marquee executed by the ensemble. Many members of the audience seemed entertained by the discordant scene on stage, and therein was the incongruity of the moment, where I perceived the effect to be potentially disjoint from the intent.
A primal scream comes forth from the Goddess and finally She rests amidst the wreckage, with just a physical manifestation of her pulse, the way a pair of defibrillator paddles would restore a heartbeat. I felt all our hearts thud in unison with this supine being, willing Her to return to us. And return to us She did... with a glance that at once, asked and answered, confirmed and denied, and challenged and accepted all that we expect from a Goddess, a mother, a wife, a woman..
I think I held my breath for a large part of the show. So electric is Mythili's presence, such utter conviction and character emanating from her bones, so completely overwhelming is her honesty that every second of the seventy minute performance I cannot but be utterly entranced.
Srilatha Singh is the artistic director of Chitrakaavya Dance. She has a Ph.D in Mathematics in three-manifold topology, which deals with geometry of spaces; the same fascination with geometry is imbued in her passion for Indian Classical Dance. Trained in Bharatanatyam, primarily the Kalakshetra tradition, from eminent gurus Shri Dhananjayan, Guru Kalyani Shekhar and Smt Ambica Buch, in her youth in India, she continually refreshes her training and has facilitated and attended workshops with artistes of international repute such as Bijayini Satpathy, Praveen Kumar, Janaki Rangarajan, and Shankar Kandasamy. She enjoys choreographing to new and unexplored themes, teaching and presenting history, mythology, rhythm, mathematics, poetry and theater, all through the medium of Bharatanatyam. Her interests lie in questions of historically re-interpreted classicism, and contextualizing the evolution of this art form as well as its relevance to contemporary identity. As a member of the Utah Presents Advisory Board, she participates in cross-cultural conversations that inspire her artistic investigations. She has guest-taught Bharatanatyam at the Snow College Convocation Series, and master classes at Weber State University, University of Utah, Westminster College, Utah Valley University amongst local institutions. She has performed in a multitude of venues and cultural festivals including Living Traditions, Ring around the Rose, Living Legacy Community, and International Day Festival, among other events.