Director: Kelucharan Mohapatra
Duration: 00:12:15; Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1; Hue: 24.665; Saturation: 0.347; Lightness: 0.128; Volume: 0.147
Summary: The 4th International Odissi Dance Festival in 2011 was held from December 23 to 30, 2011, at Rabindra Mandap Bhubaneswar. The festival was preceded by an attempt to create a world record by having around 550 dancers perform together at Kalinga Stadium. It saw the participation of most major Odissi ensembles in Orissa and a few from outside the state. With performances for over twelve hours each day, the festival featured several hundred performers in solo, duet and group works over eight days. In its scale, the festival offered a bird's eye view of the landscape of contemporary Odissi and its ever-changing nature. It foregrounded new trends in choreography, music and costuming. The seminars during the festival sparked lively debates on issues and concerns in Odissi. One such concern, voiced repeatedly, questioned the definition of tradition within the space of the dance form and the limits it could be stretched to. This raised parallel questions about innovation and experimentation in Odissi - a debate that found itself mirrored in the performances during the festival.
Yuval Cohen is an Odissi dancer based in Israel. In India, he trained at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya on an ICCR scholarship, going on to complete a Visharad in Odissi in 2007. He has been dancing since 1985 and choreographing since 1997. He was a member of the Batsheva Dance Company and the ensemble Dance Berlin. During his studies, Yuval created solo pieces that are based on the influence of the Vedas and his personal connection to the divine aspect.
Here, he performs Lalita lavanga lata parishilana, from Jayadeva's Gita Govinda. In spring, the tender breeze from the Western Ghats envelops the fragrant clove creeper, and the kutir resounds with the call of the cuckoo and the buzzing of honeybees. This is a sad time for separated lovers, says the sakhi to Radha.
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