Dance, a universal language

BANGALORE: Mayuri Upadhya, artistic director of Bangalore-based Nritarutya, an Indian Contemporary Dance Trust is the recipient of the Bronze prize for India at International competition of choreography plan for her work titled “The Asta Dikpalakas” at a glittering ceremony in Seoul, Korea on the December 6.  Mayuri’s choreography was chosen as one of the five finalists, and they were selected through the initial online screening on November 17 from an entry of 65 proposals from 30 different countries.  Mayuri Upadhya who is a dancer by choice, is now one of the most promising emerging choreographers from India. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea sponsored the five finalists to visit Seoul, Korea. The panel of 16 judges, who were expert members and co-chairpersons of the Asian Dance Committee, announced the winners after the presentation and, Question and Answer session in a glittering ceremony and handed over the awards to the three winners.  Mayuri’s work titled “The Asta Dikpalakas”, was a large scale work. This work was inspired from the Hindu mythological concept of eight dikpalakas who support the balance of universe in eight corners. The importance and need for human beings to understand, appreciate and live in harmony with other species was re-iterated in her own signature style - using an imaginative language of dance and mixed media. Her choreography was rich in imagery, spatially demanding and combining traditions with contemporary dynamism. “Even though it is highly inspired by mythology and my roots, I aim to break barriers and build a universal language of dance, representing them in newer expressions with a touch of fantasy and imagination. I believe our aesthetics, dance paramparas, traditions do not exist in isolation but find qualitative approach and communication methods.” Her collaborating choreographer in the project was Madhuri Upadhya, associate director and choreographer of Nritarutya. Madhuri has  worked on a vocabulary that has mould dance and visual arts.