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Thursday, February 13, 2025

A Dance of Devotion: Finding Strength in Spiritual Artistry

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Jhinook Mukherjee Sinha is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer who has been practicing the art form for over 25 years under the guidance of Dr. Guru Smt. Thankamani Kutty. She has performed at numerous national and international platforms, including the Chidambaram Natyanjali Dance Festival, Konark Dance Festival, and TEDx. She participated in the Pranitwa Festival of Art and Nature, where she presented a Bharatanatyam recital titled “Rituranga” (the cycle of seasons) based on Tagore’s songs. Her performance was well-received, showcasing her strong training and artistic expression.
She has also been recognized for her contributions to the field of dance, receiving awards such as the Outstanding Performance Award at the Dover Lane Music Conference, the Natya Rani Award, and Nritya Jyoti Samman Award, among others.
As a choreographer, Jhinook has worked on various projects and was the lead choreographer for the cultural events held during the G20 Summit in Western Europe in 2022. She was also invited to the Nehru Centre in London by the High Commission of India. Additionally, she has performed around the world, including in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe, Singapore, and the Middle East. One of her notable performances took place at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi recently.
Dilip Guha of ‘Sasraya News’ Talks with Jhoonuk Mukherjee Sinha on Bharatanatyam: Insights and Perspectives. 

 

 

Q. What, in your opinion, are the distinctive elements that set Bharatanatyam apart from other classical dance forms, and how do mudras (hand gestures) contribute to the narrative, emotional expression, and overall aesthetic of a Bharatanatyam performance?
Ans: Bharatanatyam has geometric precision, a deep connection to spiritual themes, and a unique vocabulary of hand gestures (mudras) and facial expressions (abhinaya). The elements of nritta (pure dance), natya (abhinaya), and nritya (a combination of both), come together in a beautiful structure in this art form. The distinctive piece of a Bharatanatyam repertoire is the Varnam – the central piece that blends all three and weaves a complete tale. It is a challenging item that sets the dance form apart, as well as demarcates a truly skilled dancer.

Bharatanatyam is a rather popular classical art form practiced by many. Performed to Carnatic music in either of the South Indian languages, there can be a language barrier. To effectively express the storytelling in the dance form, mudras play an important role in conveying the ideas and meanings.

Q. How do you balance your own emotional and spiritual connection with the divine, particularly when portraying a powerful figure like Durga Maa, while simultaneously handling the technical aspects of choreography and performance… What’s your approach to managing the emotional and spiritual demands of performing a complex theme?
Ans: As a spiritual person myself and an ardent devotee of Goddess Shakti, getting to perform such compositions as an offering to Her is a privilege. I strongly believe in the presence of a divine feminine strength derived from the Goddess herself that I believe is channelized every time I offer my salutations through my art. As a woman, I find immense strength from my beliefs reflected in my performances, combined with the technical precision I aspire to achieve through rigorous practice. In my humble opinion, to approach the emotional and spiritual demands of a complex theme, one must allow oneself to be vulnerable to the feelings that come up while diving into the depths of the art form.

 

 

Q. What inspires your theme choices for performances, and what’s been your most challenging choreography to date? Additionally, have you collaborated with artists from other disciplines, and if so, what did you learn from those experiences?”
Ans: My inspiration for choreographies comes from the world around us, my devotion and spirituality, and the rich heritage of our culture. The most challenging choreography I have attempted has to be the Simhavahini Varnam, on Devi Jagadhatri, which I just performed at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The varnam is the most challenging central piece of a Bharatanatyam repertoire. An accomplished classical dancer is one who has achieved substantial mastery over abhinaya and pure dance. Only a varnam provides the opportunity to showcase that mastery in its full blossom.
Collaborating with artists from other disciplines has taught me that acceptance and openness is the only way forward. Rigidity is limiting. Respecting the frameworks and boundaries of other arts, their rules and discipline, accepting the good from them, and sharing our own is the spirit of collaboration, and the path of growth.

Q. What are your suggestions for youth who are interested or wish to take this form of performance art as a professional career?
Ans. Dedication, sincerity, and discipline can only help our new generation who want to take classical dance as their career. Practice is the key to success in this art form.🍂

 

Read More : Sasraya News Sunday’s Literature Special | 26th January 2025 | Issue 49 || সাশ্রয় নিউজ রবিবারের সাহিত্য স্পেশাল | চিঠি সংখ্যা |২৬ জানুয়ারি ২০২৬ | সংখ্যা ৪৯

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Author: Sasraya News

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