October 11th 2023.
Debasmita Thakur, an emerging Bharatanatyam dancer from Delhi, is this week visiting government schools in Ujjain as part of a SPIC MACAY workshop-demonstration module. On Wednesday, she presented ‘devi stuti’ choreographed by Rama Vaidyanathan, a SNA awardee, to the students.
The dance is a mahatmayam in praise of the Hindu goddess Durga, who is depicted as wearing garlands of skulls around her neck and as the destroyer of demons like Mahishasura. Debasmita explained to the children that the classical dance tradition is based on the Shastras and was originally performed in temples by devadasis. She also showcased the two aspects of the dance, abhinaya and nritta.
The students enjoyed learning the traditional bhumi pranam and some basic stances of dance, as well as a few hasta mudras and their uses. They even enacted small sequences using facial expressions. Debasmita also performed an abhinaya through the story of school-going students, and Gunjana van, a Meera Bai bhajan.
The performance concluded with a thillana composed and choreographed by her guru Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan, and set to the ragam Behag and adi talam. GP Kachole and Rashmi Karjotkar proposed a vote of thanks.
SPIC MACAY national vice-chairperson Pankaj Agrawal announced that on Thursday, Debasmita will first visit Government Middle School Ninora at 11 a.m., followed by a performance at Government Middle School Ramwasa, Indore Road, at 12.30 p.m.
The visit of Debasmita Thakur to Ujjain is an excellent opportunity for the students to gain knowledge and appreciation for a traditional art form, and is sure to be an enriching experience.
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