An experiment with tradition

I tried to transpose a physical vocabulary into the traditional Bharatanatyam lexicon. The body is an anatomical instrument in Varnam with the individual jathis (voice-movements), reconstructed. While there are many elements to the performance, it is really a work of bodies in spaces and of things that happen to bodies, between bodies and the space,” said Chettur. 

To critique the rigidity of classical Indian dance conventions, Chettur’s performance explored the suffering and strength of the heroine, who is abandoned by her lover using slow, deliberate movements. She, along with her group of five dancers, mimicked the sense of distance and longing, while departing from the narrative of victimhood. The three-hour performance installation saw the artist and her group seated on chairs with no restriction on audience movement. 

It followed a unique style, using specially created gestures and steps, popular songs as well as narration from texts by a number of contemporary writers that were in sync with the performance’s theme and tone.

“I presented a radically altered take on the Mohamana Varnam, one of Bharatanatyam’s most iconic pieces, and added text. There are also sounds, visuals and the movement of the dancers in their own spaces,” said Chettur, who pointed out that the invocation of the dance form’s masterpiece and the upturning of its meaning is intended as an act of resistance. 

Chettur’s interpretation rejected the myths and seductive aspects of Indian classical dance traditions in favour of a taut radical vision. She feels that this is how contemporary dance of India should look like. “I don’t work with narratives anymore. 

In the last few years, I have been specifically interested in working in spaces such the biennale; really taking the practice outside tradition and form to work with the walls and emptiness and deal with the idea of projecting energies,” finished Chettur.