06 Jan 2011|Noida | Amity University Campus, Sector-125 Noida
The life of the great Helen Keller re- visited through a spellbound performance by the dancers of “Nrityalaya” at Amity
Amity University in association with US Embassy organized a Classical Dance Performance by the dancers of “Nrityalaya”, a US based school of Indian Classical Odissi Dance at Amity Campus, Sector- 125, Noida.
The heart captivating dance drama, directed by Dr. Chitra Krishnamurti- Founder of Nrityalaya, School of Indian Classical Odissi Dance, MD USA., highlighted the life of Helen and how she blossomed and became enlightened in the company of her teacher Anne Sullivan, not only by means of the self-expression aspect of Odissi dance, but also through the iconic dances of other countries.
The performance started with an invocation dance in the Odissi style of Indian Classical dance and moved on to show how a 19 months old baby, Helen Keller was left blind and deaf by a brief illness, her ensuing anger and frustration, the entry of teacher Anne Sullivan in her life, the gradual disciplining of Helen’s life and awakening of her instincts, Helen’s admission into Radcliffe College and her graduation, her mastering of different languages and her efforts to promote independence for the disabled and her antiwar ideals and her work towards empowering women.
The performance ended with a beautiful tribute to the remarkable life and work of Helen Keller by all the dancers through various dance forms including South African, Japanese, Spanish, Great Briatin and Indian.
The performance, by graduating disciplines of Dr. Krishnamurti in USA and India, was highly acclaimed by the discerning audience who had no words for the artistic talent of Dr. Krishnamurti and her group. The dancers- Ms. Neha Aggarwal, Ms. Neerja Balachander, Ms. Sanchari Ghosh, Ms. Aditi Kolhekar, Ms. Maanasi Mistry, Ms. Anjana Mohanty, and Ms. Kosha Parekh were successful in proving their potential especially the expressional aspect of dancing (abhinaya).
The 90-minute production was a visual treat, a bouquet of lifting music, graceful Odissi, dynamic choreography, beautiful lighting and subtle theatrics.
The dance group was accompanied by Ms. Lydia Barraza- Cultural Affairs Officer (North India Programs), Embassy of the United States of America and Mr. Ramesh S. Jain- Sr. Program Manager (Public Affairs Section), Embassy of the United States of America. Mr. Krishna S. Murti acted as “Master of Ceremonies” during the performance.
Also present during the performance were Mr. Ajay Chauhan- Trustee, Ritnand Balved Education Foundation (RBEF), Mr. Aseem Chauhan, Additional President, RBEF & Chancellor, Amity University Rajasthan and Ms. Divya Chauhan- Chairperson, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Fashion Technology.
Maj. Gen K J Singh- Chancellor, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh thanked Dr. Chitra Krishnamurti and her dancers for presenting such an enlightening and heart- touching saga in the most graceful way and honored them with mementoes.