Welcome To Kasturi Pattanaik
Choreographies / Productions

Kasturi Pattanaik has made substantive contributions towards the enlargement, enrichment and enlivenment of the rich and varied classical traditions of Odissi dance through her original and innovative choreographies and productions. Her new creations in Odissi dance are based on artistic profundity and technical purity of classical traditions of Odissi dance. Her own new distinct style provides resurgence, revitalisation, revival and renewal of Odissi dance in its creative and classical wholeness.

Kasturi Pattanaik’s choreographies and productions have been superbly acclaimed and received artistic accolades for artistic ingenuity. What has been remarkable and distinguishing, is that through her new creations in Odissi dance, she has introduced new concepts, objectives, themes, identities, values, meanings, movements and practices in the existing five sequential repertory of Odissi dance as well as in dance dramas in Odissi dance style. Her new creations-choreographies and productions have further enlarged and deepened the classical canvas and cultural rooting of Odissi dance; considerably enhancing its artistic evolutionary essence in the contemporary settings.


Odissi Dance Repertory


In the prevailing items of Odissi dance repertory; which comprise of five different sequential items; Mangalacharan, Batu Nrutya/Sthayee, Pallavi, Abhinaya and Mokshya; Kasturi Pattanaik has created “Thei Ghara Nata” as the alternative to Batu Nritya/ Sthayee as the second item of Odissi dance repertory and substituted Mokshya with Nirvana as the fifth item. The new style also reinterpreted the classical canvass and artistic spectrum of Odissi dance in the other three remaining items.


Mangalacharan


Kasturi Pattanaik
through her choreographies and productions on Mangalacharan; has been emphasising its original purpose as a holistic and sublime invocation (Abahan Puja). Her new creations in Mangalacharan has brought about integration of the sequential short performances of mancha puja (alati, puspanjali and pranam), dhyana (atma samadhina), bhajan (katha-kruti) and kritan/sankirtan in their varied artistic dimensions; with divine salutation to the universe and the cosmic whole; in  place of the existing format of Mangalacharan; which includes the bhumi pranam and the trikhandi pranam-a threefold salutation, above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to all the gurus (teachers) and in front of the chest to the respected audience.

Her Mangalacharans are a state of deep divine and meditative absorption, characterised by a constant thirst for divine illumination and spiritual guidance in a listless lifestyle.


Thei Ghara Nata


Thei Ghara Nata, is one of the artistic mainstays of Kasturi Pattanaik’s new creations in Odissi dance. The pure dance testifies her own distinct style in Odissi dance. Thei Ghara Nata has been specifically conceptualised, composed and choreographed by Kasturi Pattanaik as the second item in the repertory of Odissi dance; as a creative alternative to Batu Nritya/ Sthayee.

The uniqueness and the vitality of Thei Ghara Nata are marked by its rotational and multi-dimensional portrayal of the creative growth process of Odissi dance. In contrast to the uni-modal profile of the existing second item of Odissi dance repertory- Batu Nritya and Sthayee, Thei Ghara Nata epitomises the collective artistic vibrancy of Thei Ghara (practicing room) of Gotipua, one of the earliest evolutionary formats of Odissi dance.

Thei Ghara Nata is highly engrossing and captivating. It provides the highlights of major creative developments in the evolution of Odissi dance from its formative phase till its flowering into a full-fledged classical dance. The pure dance has been endlessly enriched and immensely improvised through the constant performing artistic endeavour of Kasturi Pattanaik.

The item; with raga Majkhamaj (Chakrakeli) and taal Triputta, intercepted by Khemta; starts with Surya Namaskar, and provides the creative and subtle adaptations of Mahari, Gotipua, Bandha, oriented-Odissi and movements of Karanas taken from the Natya Shastra. All these elements (traditional beauty of Mahari; peculiar and typical stance of Gotipua; acrobatics of Bandha Nrutya, contemporary evolutionary format of traditional Odissi vanis and music; specific adaptations of Karanas; and the totality of contemporary Odissi dance) are put in continuum and rotational form, providing a consonant and converging collage of Odissi dance in its most traditional and purest form.

The itemisation of Thei Ghara Nata is an insight into the glorious past of Odissi dance, its flowering through centuries-old adaptations and interpretations, and its present blossoming as one of the most acclaimed classical dance form.

 

Pallavis

 

Pallavi-nritta or pure dance, signifying flowering or blossoming, normally performed as the third item of Odissi dance repertory. Pallavi means elaboration. The movements in this item are extremely graceful and lyrical. Pallavi dances are characterised by the subtle nuance of technical precision and pure movements, combining equally both swara and taal. Pallavis are known after their raagas on which they are based.

Kasturi Pattanaik has explicitly working, in fact has made path- breaking contribution to enhance the elegance, embellishment and enchantment of inner hidden beauty and depth of Pallavi through her new choreographies and creations. In fact, Kasturi Pattanaik has choreographed largest number of Pallavis, with wide ranges of Raags and Taals to enhance the artistic breadth and depth of the lyrical performances of Pallavi dance. All her Pallavis are treasure of her own ideas, concepts, techniques and music. She has also brought the harmonious blending between human and animal movements in one of her Pallavis-“Gati Sammikrutta”

Kasturi Pattanaik has created nine Pallavis; which are as follows;

  •     Charukeshi
  •     Pattadeep
  •     Gati Sammikrutta
  •     Hansadhwoni
  •     Narayani
  •     Janasammohini
  •     Asavari
  •     Bageshri
  •     Sankaravaran

Abhinaya


Abhinaya signifies “the art of expressions” or the art of "exhibiting the meaning of what one depicts.” The concept is derived from Bharat’s Natya Shastra and is an integral part of all the Indian classical dance styles. It is the fourth (and the most expanding) item of the Odissi dance repertory. It is an interpretative dance.  Abhinayas in Indian classical dances, including in Odissi dance, are based on the cannons of bhavas (emotions) and rasas (sentiments), postulated with detailed elaborations in the Natya Shastra.

Abhinayas, choreographed by Kasturi Pattanaik, have provided wide-ranging interpretative and emotive expressions to the varied poetic work, and contributed towards making Abhinaya as the most captivating and enchanting item of Odissi dance. She has also attempted to integrate Odissi gayan padhati (typical traditional performing style of Odissi music) in Abhinayas. The other notable feature of her Abhinayas is providing adequate artistic space for Champu (poem comprising of both prose and poetry) and Chhanda (metrical verses)-which are the essence of the traditional Odissi music and, which, being part of intangible culture, are in the process of extinction.


Nirvana

 

Nirvana is proposed to be the finale item of the performance. Nirvana has been created by Kasturi Pattanaik as a creative alternative to the existing practised format of Mokshya, with larger creative canvas and artistic appeal. Although the basic concept of salvation remains intact and unchanged; Nirvana has replaced mokshya’s single nritta (pure dance); with new ukkutas (bols/vanis) and new nrittas (pure dances).
 

Dance Drama

 

Dance dramas in Odissi dance style has been the creative passion of Kasturi Pattanaik. From her early age of performing arts career, she has been choreographing and performing in dance dramas, which have received wide artistic accolades. Her most recent production- “Chitrangada”, has received huge acclaims for its enthralling and innovative theme, choreography and music. Chitrangada has been staged across the country; including in the inaugural function of Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary, observed at Rabindra Bhavan, Bhopal.

The Dance Dramas, choreographed by Kasturi Pattanaik include:

  •     The Deer Krishnasara (Krushnasara Mruga)
  •     Yama Savitri Sambad
  •     Rasa Trayee
  •     Kanchi Abhiyan
  •     Chitrangada
  •     Sthitaprajna
  •     Sabari Upakhyanam (Nabadha Bhakti)
  •     Yasodhar
 
 
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