An ode to patriotism

Amarjot Kaur

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After her Jammu and Kashmir Tour, Kathak exponent and cultural entrepreneur Sanchita Abrol, 26, performed her new dance production at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh. A disciple of Padma Shri Guru Shovana Narayan, Sanchita presented the dance production Pryutsu- Adorning with Pride, an ode to our warriors, to pay homage to the brave soldiers of our country.

“This performance is to commemorate 75 years of the Quit India Movement where India pledged Sankalp Se Siddhi, to create a new India that is strong, prosperous and all-encompassing; an India that will make our freedom fighters proud,” says the curator and director of the dance drama. Based on the classical Dogri poetry by renowned poet Late Group Captain Randhir Singh who is popularly known as ‘KunwarViyogi’, the only Indian Air Force officer to be conferred the Sahitya Akademi award, Sanchita combines her dance performance with the time-honoured poetry by Padma Bhushan awardee and freedom fighter Mahadevi Verma. “Accompanying these distinguished poets is the author of book Chameloen Lights, Ayushman Jamwal and his poem the valley roars,” she adds. 

The purpose behind the projects that Sanchita, who also runs a Kathak dance academy Rasadance in Melbourne, chooses to do is to “re-imagine our cultural communities” with Kathak. One of her upcoming projects that she has been working on for past one year and is nearing completion, involves reimagining Ladakhi community from its lesser known literary origins and to depict these aspects through Kathak on the world stage. “As Ladakh was located on a major trading route between India, Tibet, and Central Asia, it absorbed different influences on culture. This resulted in hybrid characteristics of Ladakhi folk literature, music and dance which I will bring alive in my upcoming project,” she adds.

For Sanchita, Kathak dance is essentially a complete phenomenon, integrating the rhythmic resources of poetry, movement and music to enhance the aesthetics of the experience and this performance is an ode to the warriors, celebrating and enacting their bravery in carrying their duty to protect the country with an unbounded spirit of patriotism.

Sanchita started dancing at a young age and quickly gained nominations to perform at prestigious events such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation & Asia Sammelan.

“I founded Rasadance in 2014 to build a bond with the centuries old tradition of story-telling through dance,” she shares. She has performed on many national and International stages and has represented India at various prestigious platforms including Ganges Danube Festival Hungary, Multicultural Festival Melbourne and India Youth delegation to China. Sanchita has also been honoured with ‘Prem Jamwal Art Innovation Award’, for revitalising Dogri poetry, with a unique blend of Hindi and English literature and presenting it on international stage through her dance. She has choreographed and featured in, the first of its kind Dogri Ghazal videos Aayi Khushboo and Rasam Riwaz. “I also made a documentary on Uttar Bahani, an underground river that flows through Jammu. According to Hindu mythology, Uttar Bahani is the elder sister of the Ganges. With Uttar Bahani as a narrative, I also performed Kathak, highlighting Uttar Bahani’s spiritual and feminist connotation,” she says. 

Sanchita has worked with many eminent poets like Padma Shri Padma Sachdeva, Padma Shri Dr. Shyam Singh Shashi and has conceptualised and directed many critically acclaimed performances. She also appeared in the Ghazal album Dekho Toh by the well-known poet Farhat Shahzad from Pakistan. Recently, She was invited to perform at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne for the celebration of Gandhi Community Day, where she performed her Guru’s acclaimed piece ‘Mohan and Rambha’.