Design & Dance

By Jahnvi Sreedhar

Photography: Courtesy Shrijith Krishna & Ananya

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Dance and Design share an intense, complex and surreal relationship. Also, both, with time, have come to acquire a larger connotation. IAnD delves into the realm of design in classical Indian dance performance…

The stage is set, crisp curtains, aligned wings, perfect indigo blue backdrop, idols of  ‘Nataraj’ the deity of dance and ‘Ganesha’ the harbinger of everything auspicious to the right and the orchestra to the left of the stage; on come the lights and the dancer rules the space. This is a typical scene of an Indian Classical dance stage. “The prime focus is the dancer; the stage, orchestra, lights, make-up, costume are secondary, but aspects that just cannot be neglected,” says V.V. Ramani, veteran stage designer and multi-faceted personality.

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Ramani seamlessly talks about all the aspects of design vis-à-vis dance, “One has to internalize design within the parameters of dance; it’s the age of experimentation -keeping in mind its aesthetics and most importantly, by not overdoing.”

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In terms of elements, dance and design overlap quite a bit. Just like a choreographer, a designer needs to visualize what he wishes to convey, what elements (lines, point, colour and texture) would highlight the message, etc., since the basic aim of both is to communicate. “The vision for dance and design is an integrated one; the audience sees the performer in a frame; and if it isn’t at its ambient best, the beauty is lost,” says Sheejith Krishna, dance-choreographer.

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With constant exchange and evolution of new ideas on the global platform, one needs to strike a balance to harmonize all aspects - costume, set design, stage décor, lighting, make-up - and connect to the masses.  With audiences better-informed and artistes open to innovate, the one thing that remains sacrosanct is the beauty of simplicity - not over-doing, not over-shadowing the performer, not screaming for attention but seamlessly blending in…