THE ghungroos of a bevy of dancers performing tillana is lulled as the news of a bomb blast breaks out. In the momentarily hushed auditorium, unfolds the newest composition of Lasya, The Collage, as well as the practice of blending classical dance expressions and contemporary issues to keep the traditional art thriving.

The Collage, conceptualised and choreographed by Rajashree Shirke and Vaibhav Arekar, is filled with corresponding images of classical dance expressions and urban realities. The 50-minute performance will be the one to bring the curtain down on the two-day Yatra ’08, the sixth edition of the annual festival of Lasya—a dance institute run by Shirke and Arekar. “We have saved our latest dance composition for the last,” says Shirke. As part of The Collage, she will present an item adapted from the short story, Ayoni, by Kannada writer Volga. “This piece is designed as a dance theatre where body language substitutes dialogues,” she explains.

The festival was inaugurated with the depiction of Ravindra Nath Tagore’s Bhanusinger Padabali in Odissi-style by Nivedita Mukherji. Day one will also see Anand Lahiri, a bouquet of classical dance presentations of Kathak and Bharatanatyam styles, and Marathi Lok Gram Kala Melawa, a tribal and folk art show by the Lok Kala Academy, Mumbai University. On Tuesday, Rani Karna is all set to offer a delicious feast of Kathak with Nritya Umang.

Lasya, which often travels with its Yatra festival outside Mumbai, doesn’t have too many tours planned this year. Next month, Shirke will present a show in Kohlapur and Pune-based sculptor Dr Udayan Indukar will conduct a four-day workshop in Mumbai on the artistic influence of dance in sculpture. Shirke, however, blames the lack of funds for curtailing this year’s festival. “Still, we don’t want to disrupt the festival. The festival has to go on to widen the reach of classical dance forms,” says Arekar.

The festival began as an exploration of the scope of celebrating dance. Even though the first Yatra festival was a one-day affair, several prominent classical dancers of the city, including Daksha Mashruwalla and Jhelum Paranjape had gathered to mark the World Dance Day, as well as to bond. “After all, dance itself is a celebration of a strong relationship,” reminds Arekar, “That of the performer and the stage.”