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Belayet on the style in Tagore's dance drama

2 July 2005, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Novera Deepita
2 July 2005, 18:00 PM
Belayet Hossain Khan striking a Bharatnatyam mudra
It was a rare opportunity for Belayet Hossain Khan to perform with veteran danseuse Gawhar Jamil in the 60s. During the performance Gawhar Jamil played the lead role inShamanya Khotiof Tagore. Gawhar Jamil followed the style of legendary dancer, Uday Shankar, which was a blend of folk and Bharatnatyam. Again inShyama, a 1984 production by Chayyanaut, Santibala Sinha developed the script for the dance drama blending three different styles --Kathak, ManipuriandBharatnatyam.

The dance drama of that period differed from that of today. In the choreography the depiction of tandab, is considered quite a difficult style in dance. In a dance drama, dance plays a vital role. However, now the drama part is gaining more importance.

Rabindranath Tagore did not actually develop any specific dance style, but during his lifetime he preferred the Manipuri genre for his dance dramas. He had picked up Manipuri because he found the style and movements of this genre best suited for his dance drama. However, while composing a piece by Tagore, not all the choreographers always follow the same style.

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While developing choreography for Tagore's creations, Belayet prefers Bharatnatyam because he has specialised in this genre. But he believes that a touch of the folk genre makes the dance drama more attractive.