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''Abhinaya''
to see a revival of fortunes
NEW
DELHI: Abhinaya, that mesmerised an audience during dance
performances decades ago, is to see a revival of fortunes.
The rich repository of facial expressions that served to hold
the attention of a small audience, gave way to ''Nritya'',
an assortment of large movements, as the audience and auditoria
grew in size.
Noted Kuchipudi dancer Swapnasundari, one of those responsible
for bringing the art form to the national stage, says changes
in space and stage structures led to the decline of ''Abhinaya''.
Talking to UNI, the dancer who is trying to revive Abhinaya,
said facial expression suffered when the stage structures
got bigger with modernisation and development of dance.
Nritya was more apt for a larger stage and bigger audiences,
she added. ''In an auditorium with 800-1000 people, large
and bigger movements have to be rendered to sustain their
interest. The subtle expressions in the Abhinaya are not visible
in an auditorium that big.''
Swapnasundari and her organisation, Kuchipudi Dance Centre,
have taken to organising dance festivals round the year. 'Tarangam',
that was conceived as an expression of gratitude to those
departed dance personalities who had served this dance form,
was recently held here.
The festival highlighted three aspects of the Kuchipudi style
of dancing--solo performance, Stree Vesham or female impersonation
and the duet. The solo performance by Swapansundari had special
focus on Abhinaya. UNI.
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