Mother-daughter dancer duo bring Sattriya to Chennai

In the city recently for their Margazhi performances, the mother-daughter duo of Indira PP Bora and Menaka Bora, yet again explored the vast spectrum of native Assamese dance Sattriya like Suknani Ojhapali with a piece on Goddess Manasa and the Upanishads. “We consciously try to move beyond the mould yet find compositions from Assamese tradition,” says Menaka. 

“It has met with resistance back home because some say this is not Sattriya, but we love to bring it here,” she says with a laugh. The repertoire presented also included a composition on Shiva. Menaka says Sattriya may be a dance form native to Assam, but she and her mother have been making it a point to bring it to Chennai every Maragazhi season. “The audiences here have a discerning taste; we want to appeal to them. But there is lot more awareness required. As dancers, we have an onus to take it far and wide. If I can do it in London, I should be able to make a mark here as well,” she says. 

Sattriya which has its roots in Assamese monasteries is an integral part of Vaishnavite tradition in the state. 

One of the eight classical dance forms of India, Sattriya dates back to the 15th century. It was brought into mainstream through the efforts of Indira who dared to break the monastic mould of the dance form. 

Indira and Menaka have also been trained in Bharathantyam in the Kalakshetra style. While the latter is the student of dance couple Dhananjayans, the former is a direct disciple of Kalakshetra founder Rukmini Devi Arundale. 

“Sattriya was still restricted to the monasteries (sattras) and it involved a lot of research and development work. Being trained in Bharatnatyam helped me a lot. It was as though I had found a little more clarity,” says Indira. 

One of the most significant transformations that Indira brought was the nuanced hand movements and abhinaya (the art of expression) to make it aesthetic and artistic. The debate and difference of opinion continues even today. “There was a little apprehension among many, as it was a dance form that had deep links with Vaishnavite tradition. On the other hand, I learnt a lot from the gurus in the monasteries,” she says. 

Through Kala Bhumi, Indira has been training a number of youngsters for many years now, while Menaka, who is a ballet and contemporary dancer as well is an artist-in-residence at Oxford University. 

“It is a rare feat,” reckons Menaka. “I want to present Sattriya in the contemporary context. It is not about diluting it, but taking it to a global stage,” she signs off.