Going with the flow | Nrityagram's Vihara dance residency
Nrityagam Dance Village, Bengaluru, launches a month-long residency for dancers
In 2016, Odissi exponent Surupa Sen headed to the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York to participate in a residency and returned with an experience of a lifetime. The freedom to experiment and immerse in her practice, with no strings attached, was inspiring. A decade later, she and Nrityagram’s managing trustee Lynne Fernandez want to recreate that experience in India with their own fully-funded residency, Vihara. The aim, Sen says, is “to create a space where Indian classical dancers can experience uninterrupted time for practice, reflection, rehearsal, artistic exploration and renewal”. Through the month-long programme, Fernandez hopes applicants take advantage of the time and trust that’s afforded to them.
In 2016, Odissi exponent Surupa Sen headed to the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York to participate in a residency and returned with an experience of a lifetime. The freedom to experiment and immerse in her practice, with no strings attached, was inspiring. A decade later, she and Nrityagram’s managing trustee Lynne Fernandez want to recreate that experience in India with their own fully-funded residency, Vihara. The aim, Sen says, is “to create a space where Indian classical dancers can experience uninterrupted time for practice, reflection, rehearsal, artistic exploration and renewal”. Through the month-long programme, Fernandez hopes applicants take advantage of the time and trust that’s afforded to them.
But that’s not the only attractive bit of Vihara. It’s the opportunity to spend time in the sylvan Nrityagram dance gurukul located in Hessarghatta and rehearse in the beautifully decorated spaces designed by architect Gerard da Cunha and enjoy the locally grown food that makes it more enticing. “When dancers live within an environment where dance is woven into daily life, artistic growth unfolds organically and continuously,” says Fernandez. “Here, dance is not approached simply as a profession or performance practice. It becomes part of how you live, reflect, observe, learn and relate to the world.” Sen’s vibrant choreographies for Nrityagram Dance Ensemble are reflective of the inspiring effects of the environment. What Vihara does is open its doors to classical dancers from other styles to benefit from the holistic environment.
Sen and Fernandez also see it as a respite for dancers from the rigour of their own journeys, which sees them perform, teach, choreograph, collaborate and these days even engage with audiences through social media. “We felt there was immense value in creating a space where dancers could spend uninterrupted time with their art form,” says Fernandez. The residency, they hope, would forge a connection among the dancers. “Spaces like these create opportunities for artistes across traditions and generations to learn from one another, exchange experiences and build lasting relationships through dance,” says Sen.
—For details, visit nrityagram.org/dance-residency
