Nritarutya describes itself as ‘a group of young dancers from diverse backgrounds of dance and martial arts on a journey together, exploring new avenues while staying rooted in the traditional.’ Hailing from Bangalore, the artists performing for the first time in Chennai, presented some of their choreographies in a 25-minute capsule entitled “And…”

The enthusiastic team of Nritarutya comprised seven dancers: Mayuri Upadhya, Madhuri Upadhya, Sathya B.G., Umesh Naidu, Harini B.C., Ashwini Raghupathy and Geetha Ballal. They charmed the audience with their graceful and precise movements, body control, and split-second timing. There was poetic beauty in their limbs and their stylish technique was captivating. The choreography was marvellous, especially in ‘Five Minutes with My Inner Self’ and ‘Conversation.’ And the special light effects by Nandakishore added to the magic of the presentation. There was a good beat for the most part that would have assisted the dancers, but the music by Raghupathy Dixit was rather mundane, generally keyboard-oriented, and on occasion to the accompaniment of an alaap.

Symmetry was predominant in the ‘Five Minute’ piece where mirror images added to and complemented each other. Visual detailing was at its best, especially where the same movements were performed at right angles. This is innovation in the true sense of the word. ‘Push Me’ was a somewhat busy item, with dancers running on and off the stage, portraying mainly a violent kind of a push, more akin to aggressive children. The entry was remarkable for its novelty- four dancers seated on their haunches in a diagonal, and each pushing the other in a chain reaction.

The wide-ranging concepts were proof of discerning and seeking minds, and one of the best in terms of the idea and the implementation was ‘Conversation’- juxtaposing traditional Bharatanatyam and modern dance in the context of the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna in the Bhagavat Gita. Having promised much, it disappointed for it was too short-lived to make an impact. The choreographic and presentation skills of these young dancers need to be nurtured and encouraged, and Chennai for sure would be delighted to see them again.