dis time and lang lang time..
Nrityageet is an annual production, presented by the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance Troupe and the Shah family. This year was the 33rd production.
It is a celebration of Indian Arrival, and long before Indian Arrival was commemorated in any big way, the family maintained their annual tradition.
The productions have always had interesting innovations, no doubt a tribute to the daring creativity of the family members. I remember tears coming to my eyes at one opening sequence which had the portrayal of the unknown Guyana and people heading into that unknown. The powerful tribute to Cheddi Jagan, first time we had seen use of digital visuals on the wall at the back, also is memory. The Khajuraho choreography with Andre Sobryan was also very daring.
The shows include other dance groups and special tributes are paid to the Indian traditions in Guyana which are not related to Bollywood.
This year, the show included a Ramleela scene.. beautifully narrated and enacted. The Ramleela is a dramatisation of the Ramayana.
The Cultural Centre was not full though. There is a lot of competition now for Arrival Day events . People probably spent their money on the Sonu Nigam show last week as well.
This year, the production included the use of technology to add dimensions to the show - with explanations from the artistes about their work, presentation of the programme. There were projections of the stage performances.
I left at the interval. I enjoyed the performances and appreciated all the attempts to ensure that local traditions - poetry writing, the ramleela, local choreographies - are celebrated. However, the production seemed to want co-ordinated stage management and technology management so as to avoid the lapses , small even, which could take away from the quality.
There are many ways to celebrate the hard work which characterised many of the lives of many of our ancestors, and Nrityageet is one of them which should be supported and continued. The producers no doubt have many wonderful ideas for continuing to bridge the past, the present and the future. However, as they grow, they should take stock of the technical expertise needed to help to manage the final production so as to ensure a good quality production which will do good justice to the many fine performances.
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Another review was published in Guyana Chronicle on Sunday 6 May, 2012
It is a celebration of Indian Arrival, and long before Indian Arrival was commemorated in any big way, the family maintained their annual tradition.
The productions have always had interesting innovations, no doubt a tribute to the daring creativity of the family members. I remember tears coming to my eyes at one opening sequence which had the portrayal of the unknown Guyana and people heading into that unknown. The powerful tribute to Cheddi Jagan, first time we had seen use of digital visuals on the wall at the back, also is memory. The Khajuraho choreography with Andre Sobryan was also very daring.
The shows include other dance groups and special tributes are paid to the Indian traditions in Guyana which are not related to Bollywood.
This year, the show included a Ramleela scene.. beautifully narrated and enacted. The Ramleela is a dramatisation of the Ramayana.
The Cultural Centre was not full though. There is a lot of competition now for Arrival Day events . People probably spent their money on the Sonu Nigam show last week as well.
This year, the production included the use of technology to add dimensions to the show - with explanations from the artistes about their work, presentation of the programme. There were projections of the stage performances.
I left at the interval. I enjoyed the performances and appreciated all the attempts to ensure that local traditions - poetry writing, the ramleela, local choreographies - are celebrated. However, the production seemed to want co-ordinated stage management and technology management so as to avoid the lapses , small even, which could take away from the quality.
There are many ways to celebrate the hard work which characterised many of the lives of many of our ancestors, and Nrityageet is one of them which should be supported and continued. The producers no doubt have many wonderful ideas for continuing to bridge the past, the present and the future. However, as they grow, they should take stock of the technical expertise needed to help to manage the final production so as to ensure a good quality production which will do good justice to the many fine performances.
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Another review was published in Guyana Chronicle on Sunday 6 May, 2012
| Nrityageet 33 delivers beyond expectations |
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| Written by Michelle Gonsalves | |||||
| Sunday, 06 May 2012 21:27 | |||||
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--folksy costumes & energy of dancers praised BURDENED with the expectation to take Nrityageet into the fourth and fifth decades, two of the youngest instructors of the prestigious dance production really lived up to that promise as the 33rd edition of the show came off last Friday night at the National Cultural Centre.
The word “Nrityageet” itself means “pure song and dance”, and the show boasted a repertoire that included Kathak, Bharatanatya, Odissi, Folk, Modern, Chutney, Soca, Jazz, Ballet, Ballroom and Ethnic dance styles. As is traditional, the entire troupe came together to perform the invocation. The eye-catching number featured Hindu and Muslim salutations choreographed by Suzanne, Rewattie, and co-founder and senior instructor Nadira Shah-Berry. Dancers from the National School of Dance supplied the Christian element dancing to the Alleluia chorus, and coordinating their finish with the Nrityageet troupe. This part was choreographed by Linda Griffith, Director of the National School of Dance. The programme officially began after the invocation and traditional welcome by Dr. Yesu Persaud. ‘A Village Dance’ choreographed by Rewattie started the programme. The piece attracted the attention of some members of Naya Zamana, another prestigious dance production, who praised the beautiful folksy costumes and the energy of the dance. Veteran dancer Nadira made her appearance doing what she does best -- Kathak.
A personal favourite, and by all appearances a favourite with the audience, Rewattie performed “Grandpa’s Choices”, a piece which, not surprisingly, she choreographed herself. It was plain to see why the number was called ‘Grandpa’s Choices’, as it was composed of a medley of big movie hits from back in the day. The Guyana Ramleela Group delivered a memorable performance of “Ramleela”, a piece that demanded skills in dance, drama, narration and costume. But the youngsters pulled it off, even the split-second and often behind-a-prop-tree costume changes. Even before the first half of the show had ended, it was apparent that the show was of notably better quality than last year’s production, even to my non-professional eye. The improvement extended to all aspects: choice of music, repertoire, choreography, execution, costumes, time, and the stage itself.A beautiful, textured, gilded frame, reminiscent of an antique photo frame, was expertly set in front of a large screen which changed with every dance, showing beautiful temples, lakes, gardens, sunsets, mountains, abstract artwork, and more. The combination created a beautiful three-dimensional effect, and one expected, at any moment, a dancer to dance off into the sunset on screen. These observations were also confirmed by my aforementioned new professional dancer friends. Near the end of the first segment, tassa drumming filled the air. The audience had not had time to recover from the energising beats when ‘Mystical Religions’, a number choreographed by Suzanne, took to the stage. The fact that the lights had been put out only seconds before made the special effects more enchanting, as did the mysterious smoke which shrouded the stage, and the coloured and pulsating lights used in combination. The second segment consisted of mostly contemporary dance styles: filmi, pop and chutney styles. This part also featured a fashion show segment that suitably wowed the audience, as the models showed off a scintillating display of fashion that was a fusion of Asian and Western fashions. In “Tomorrow’s Crazy World”, Susanne danced uninhibitedly to Adele. She finished the dance holding a framed map of Guyana, to the loud cheers of the audience. This year, Guyana celebrates 174 years since the ancestors of Indo-Guyanese came to the shores of British Guiana. Nrityageet is produced by the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance Troupe, and has long established itself as a fixture of Arrival Day celebrations. |
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