The Indian ensemble represents the Nupur Saj School of Performing Arts, which was established in the city of Navsari, Gujarat, Western India, in 1993 mainly to research the local dancing tradition and to teach Bharatanatyam, a major genre of Indian classical dance originated in the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu and associated with the Tamil culture. Traditionally, Bharatanatyam used to be a solo dance performed by devadasis, female cult dancers quartered at temples. This form of dance, whose very name captures its profound complexity (Bha – feelings, emotion, ra – melodic framework, ta – rhythm, natyam – dance), is an art of consecrating the body, whereby the dancer dissolves her identity in rhythm and music, thus turning herself into an instrument for the experience and expression of the spirit. Outside the temple environment and on stage the dance appeared as late as the 20th century.
At the Festival the ensemble will also present a medley of dances, e.g. garba (performed during the autumn Hindu festival of Navarathri), padhar (typical of the rural community living on Nal Sarovar Lake), raas (a vibrant ‘stick’ dance imitating the fight between goddess Durga and demon Mahishasura), tippani (a labourer’s dance with sticks used for pressing lime into the household floor), bhangra (a dance from the Punjab state originally performed at harvest), giddha (a female counterpart of bhangra), ghoomar (a Rajasthani dance of women in swirling robes) and kalbelia (dance of women catching snakes and trading in snake venom).
Nehaben Rajeshkumar Patel is the ensemble leader and choreographer. The musical band, headed by Rajeshkumar Suryakant Patel, will be playing a khanjri (a tambourine), a manjira (a pair of little clash cymbals making high-pitched sounds), a taalam (a pair of little clash cymbals making high-pitched sounds), a dhol (a double-sided drum), a ghungroo (an anklet of metallic bells).
At the Festival the ensemble will also present a medley of dances, e.g. garba (performed during the autumn Hindu festival of Navarathri), padhar (typical of the rural community living on Nal Sarovar Lake), raas (a vibrant ‘stick’ dance imitating the fight between goddess Durga and demon Mahishasura), tippani (a labourer’s dance with sticks used for pressing lime into the household floor), bhangra (a dance from the Punjab state originally performed at harvest), giddha (a female counterpart of bhangra), ghoomar (a Rajasthani dance of women in swirling robes) and kalbelia (dance of women catching snakes and trading in snake venom).
Nehaben Rajeshkumar Patel is the ensemble leader and choreographer. The musical band, headed by Rajeshkumar Suryakant Patel, will be playing a khanjri (a tambourine), a manjira (a pair of little clash cymbals making high-pitched sounds), a taalam (a pair of little clash cymbals making high-pitched sounds), a dhol (a double-sided drum), a ghungroo (an anklet of metallic bells).