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Efforts on to codify Chhau dance forms

BHUBANESWAR: In a major move to codify the music and rhythm being used in the martial dance of Chhau of Orissa and neighbouring Bihar, a two-day national symposium would be hosted by the city-based Mayur Art Centre on its premises here on Saturday.

“This initiative will be the first of its kind in India”, said Centre Director Pradip Mishra.

It was due to the sustained efforts of eminent scholar, former Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi president and the Centre’s founder D.N. Patnaik that the Union Culture Ministry and Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi came forward to support the important event, he added.

“There has been an indiscriminate use of non-traditional musical instruments and rhythms in the music composed for the Chhau dance styles of Sareikalla (Bihar) and Mayurbhanj (Orissa).

While innovation and experimentation are welcome in any performing arts tradition, it must go within the grammar,” pointed out Mr. Patnaik.

Patnaik has written the only authentic book on the unmasked Chhau dance style of Mayurbhanj.

Five eminent artists of Sareikalla style and an equal number of experts knowing the Mayurbhanj Chhau style are invited to participate in the symposium, which would be attended by a large number of music composers and percussionists of the city.

The invited experts are involved in composing the music for Odissi and Chhau dances of the two styles.

The invitees includes Akademi awardee mardal exponent Banamali Moharana, Sareikalla Chhau exponent Sasadhar Acharya, noted music composer and former Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi president Shantanu Mohapatra and Odissi Research Centre Chief Executive Ramahari Das, the hosts informed.

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