Deboo’s presentation entitled ‘Circle of Feelings,’ in effect meant just that, a panorama of sentiments that began and ended on a slow, meditative note, with a series of lighter moments strewn in between. His creativity did not end with movement choreography; it extended to the imaginative use of props, the treatment of varying performance spaces, the superb lighting that enhanced the appeal of the austere bodylines and the motionless stances, all the while crafting vivid images of sheer poetry.

His unique style of dance is undoubtedly modern, evolved from a process that started with the Indian classical dance styles of Kathak and Kathakali, before moving into the abstract. Discipline and control are the hallmarks of Deboo’s exclusive vocabulary, as visible in the movement of every finger, in every stance, and in every twirl. He continually challenges his sense of balance, occasionally on unforgiving levels, which then takes his presentation beyond mere performance, the visual artistry here telling its own tale of application and concentration. The final effect is thus an unusual confluence of music and dance, a passionate encounter from deep within.

Deboo’s stirring music, in sync with the mood of each of the four sections of the presentation, were powerful selections. The opening alaap in Malkauns raag by the Italian Amelia Cuni, was a haunting melody, adding to the mystery and intensity of the dancer’s slow, deliberate movements. The presentation picked up momentum with the saxophone composition of Gert Anklam, where rhythm on a tentative scale was introduced and echoed by the clipped movement of the fingers, hip, eyebrows and body. Deboo’s face came to life with vignettes from Remy Aubrey’s film score that brought rhythm to a crescendo, even whilst a swirl of emotions flitted across the dancer’s face, from joy to love, to distress, to anger, to anguish...

However, the effect of the last piece performed on the parapet wall above the courtyard was unnerving, though Deboo made a striking picture, silhouetted against the backdrop of swaying trees touched by blue light. Regrettably the dramatic moment was fraught with too much apprehension to allow the mood to slip back into the intended restive state.

His uncompromising style, with minimal articulation and an almost rigid body language demands full involvement from his audience; one has to experience it to be able to appreciate the consummate skill of this artist. Deboo has in the last decade extended the reach of his creativity to theatre groups of the hearing impaired that he works with in Kolkatta and in Washington.