New steps, ancient rhythms: NY-based dance troupe spells magic in Delhi

Kamani Auditorium recently hosted a rather unique dance recital, as dancers from New York-based Battery Dance Company joined Indian Bharatnatyam exponent Unnat Hasan Rathnaraju to present a fusion dance merging Western contemporary with Indian classical dance to the tunes of Indian classical music. The performance, titled Shakti: A Return To The Source, jointly organized by the US Embassy and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was inaugurated by the US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster."It is special for me to be here because here is a dance company from my hometown - New York City –- showcasing the best of both American and Indian dance forms in the heart of New Delhi," the ambassador said.
Unnat Hasan Rathnaraju
The performance blended the American modern and the Indian classical dance schools as it began with a contemporary dance piece by the American dancers, followed by a Bharatnatyam act by Unnat. But it was the finale that earned a thunderous applause from a packed crowd, as the Indian dancer joined his American contemporaries to put up a fusion dance to the sounds of the iconic Raag Durga rendition by Indian classical vocalists, Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra. The two vocalists, whom the show’s artistic director Jonathan Hollander described as the ‘inspiration behind the performance’, were in the audience and even met the dancers after the performance.
Jonathan Hollander, Artistic Director of the show
The performance has been earlier staged in other Indian cities as well as in the US. Sasha, a Russian national who watched the show, said, "I loved how easily they blended the two very distinct dance forms in a way that it did not seem odd." Talking about how difficult it was to bring the two dance forms together, Jonathan said, "One of the two most obvious differences in the two dance forms is that we use a lot of contact in our dances. The relationship between two people will often be shown through physical touch. In India, there is no touching. That is one of the things our Indian guest dance artist had to get accustomed to."
Members of the Battery Dance Company
The audience enjoyed the performances at the event