Erasing Borders Dance Festival - Navarasa Mohana by Rama Vaidyanathan

This work was part of the 2016 Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance Indoors Performance titled 'Playing with Tradition'. The Erasing Borders Dance Festival is presented by Indo-American Arts Council in collaboration with PACE University and Battery Dance Festival.

Navarasa Mohana presents the nine quintessential 'sentiments' or 'emotional states' of classical Indian theatre, with reference to the life of Lord Krishna, in particular the moment when he meets his uncle Kamsa who, Herod-like, tried to have him killed as a baby: ANGER (of wrestlers insulted at being pitted against a mere boy); WONDER (of common folk beholding their savior); DESIRE (of the young women around); LAUGHTER (of childhood friends recalling their shared pranks); FEAR (of nobles beholding their nemesis); COMPASSION (of older folk beholding 'their child'); VALOR (of uncle Kamsa undeterred at facing his nemesis); CONTEMPT (of unsuspecting spectators who saw him as no match for Kamsa) and TRANQUILITY (of realized souls, who knew Krishna was a manifestation of Supreme Consciousness).
Dancer: Rama Vaidyanathan
Dance Style: Bharatanatyam
Text: Sanskrit verse from Shrimad Bhagwatham
Composer: Guruvayur Srikrishnan
Singer: K Venkateshwaran
Choreography: Rama Vaidyanathan
Introductory slide: Rajika Puri