Rasa Festival | Odissi Dance

When

Saturday February 26, 2022: 10:00am to 11:00am  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

AADL.TV

Description

Sreyashi Dey presents a new expressional dance/abhinaya choreographic work based on the rasa or emotion of viraha or separation, based on the fundamental emotion of love, both sringara or romantic love and bhakti, or devotional love. Separation is the corollary of love or union, but interestingly, viraha is a state to be sought by the devotee or the lover, in order to experience the full richness and the variegated rasa of love. 

This work is in two parts, expressing two flavors of viraha. The first part is based on verses from two texts – the Bhagavatam which was likely written sometime around the 8th century CE and contemporary verses of Sri Muralidhar Swami. These verses are a direct expression of bhakti or devotional love for the divine but seeking viraha as an emotional state that heightens the experience of devotion. 

The second part of the piece is based on the 12th century poet Jayadeva’s Gita Govindam. Sreyashi has used the ashtapadi Nindati Chandanam to represent the rasa of viraha, experienced primarily by Radha, but also by Krishna. 

This event is in partnership with the Rasa Festival. Rasa is an innovative India-themed multi-arts festival, produced by Akshara, an Ann Arbor, Michigan based multi-arts organization. It is held annually in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and the greater Detroit area.

See all 2021-22 Rasa Festival events at AADL at aadl.org/rasafestival.