Art is an intense and an extraordinary
form of expression. There are various forms of art and dance is one such
passionate way of expressing our earnest emotions.
About the work :
"Padam" historically is an
integral part of classical music (Carnatic) and a section of “Bharatanatyam” recital concert in which the
performer showcases her emotions and her imaginations in the form of this
implicit art. It is usually a monolog and describes the relationship between
the heroin (Nayaki) and hero (Naayaka). Padam belongs to a special genre of
South Indian classical music. It is an
intricately crafted, lyrical song which has reached its peak during Madhura
Bhakthi period in India. Replete with
emotion, it lends immense scope to expression of variegated sentiments and
shades of emotion. A poet-composer, Kshetrayya, whose name has come to be
synonymous with Padams, perfected this specific genre, which places equal
weight on lyrics and the complex musical aspect.
“Padam”, a Dance Drama Produced,
Directed and Choreographed by Shreenath Muthyala demonstrates this beautiful
piece of art in the most graceful and elegant manner. Eriko Sugimura, the
dancer of this dance drama beautifully portraits the anguish of the lover.
The music is composed and produced by
Ram Sampath who has given a kshetrayya padam a beautiful direction through
instrumentation of world fusion The song was sung by Padma Shri Aruna Sairam
who was exceptional and outstanding. Kshetrayya, a prolific Telugu poet from
17th century is a composer of Carnatic music. He originally wrote this padam
and composed this. Shreenath Muthyala believes strongly in the universality and
the power of emotion in driving a story forward and into the hearts of the
audience, informed or otherwise. Being a
strong cross cultural art enthusiast, He set out to experiment with the
emotional elements from movement bank / dance genres of Europe in early 17th
century and searched for a parallel in an equally emotional and a complex
courtesan cultural element of South India. The dance culture in India
encompasses everything from physical to spiritual and ensures a seamless
connection with drama and theater. The
courtesans or the temple dancers were the keepers of such culture until the
very recent past.
Drawing inspiration from his native
music, he attempted to create a powerful drama resonating the sensibilities of
a courtesan that extends beyond a simple reduction to a particular style,
period or place in the universe.
Besides Dance and music, the
cinematography of the work has been exceptional.
Overall the dance drama – Padam is
intense and depicts beautifully the experience that all of us once go through
at some point of time in our lives. It also proves that art unites different
cultures from different parts of the globe to work together in unity.
Besides the dance, the set looks
beautiful with small lamps lit on the ground around the room and a sculpture
illuminated from behind at the corner of the room. This adds to the beauty of
the set and the emotion of the play. The costume seems to be a mix of
traditional attires with various ornaments with a beautifully designed black
dress with a golden shade.
The hero of the drama , the performer
imagines is a sculpture made by Aima Saint Hunon a renowned French sculpture
artist . The sculpture is beautifully designed with the artistic strokes of the
Indian culture with historical references from french culture .
About the Director
Shreenath Muthyala is an alumnus of
Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology. He has started a Dance club
in the college by the name Scintillatorzz in the year 2009 and went on to bag
consecutive national level titles several times along with his talented team
representing Geethanjali. He was appreciated and praised for his contributions
towards arts and humanities in college and since then, the arts club in
Geethanjali College started growing with better and bigger passion and
creativeness. Known for his intense storytelling and lavish sets, he won the hearts
of many students and faculty back then and has further went on to gain national
and international acclaim .
Upon graduation, his passions lead him
to work with world renowned artists in India, Japan and other different
countries. Later he moved to New York to present his international debut that
he has directed and choreographed titled “Padam “. Shreenath Muthyala currently
is a critically acclaimed Emerging Choreographer/Director in the world. He is
the Artistic Director and Founder of Contemporary Vedas- the Dance Project.
He is also the Director and Producer
of Upcoming Web Series titled “The Great Dance Diaries “which featured world’s
leading artists and choreographers from all around the world. He leads a
community outreach program for the underprivileged dancers and artists under
the program name “SCOUTS” across many cities in India.
Padam - When World Cultures Unite !!