It takes a Nrityagram village

"I dream of building a community of dancers in a forsaken place amidst nature. A place where nothing exists, except dance. A place where you breathe, eat, sleep, dream, talk, imagine--dance. A place where all the five senses can be refined to perfection. A place where dancers drop negative qualities such as jealousy, small-mindedness, greed and malice to embrace their colleagues as sisters and support each other in their journey towards becoming dancers of merit."

"A place called Nrityagram."

--Protima Gauri Bedi

Imagine if the US had an entire village dedicated to well-rounded, disciplined training of generations of young dancers! India has Nrityagram--situated near Bangalore--where young people learn the classical dances of their ancient culture and related studies such as yoga, meditation, Sanskrit, epics and martial arts.

For the past several days, smart and lucky New Yorkers have basked in the exquisite work of Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, founded in 1990 by the late Protima Gauri Bedi and now directed by dancer-choreographer Surupa Sen. The company has just completed a splendid season at The Joyce Theater, performing the world premiere of Pratima: Reflection, in honor of their founder who died in 1998.

I can't remember a performance where I felt that not a single step had been made nor note struck nor any other element proffered that was out of place. From sumptuous costuming to color-drenched lighting, from exacting technique to mesmerizing chant, the entire presentation was designed and executed with impeccable taste and luxuriousness.

I have never been as convinced of the presence of the divine within us as much as I have when watching the expressive, precise dancing of this company--in particular, the masterful work of Sen and Bijayini Satpathy. Harmonium player Rajendra Kumar Swain's supple vocals reminded me of how breath makes inner spirit and greater Spirit one. To witness this proud Indian ensemble is a great honor--the best placed before us.

Let's hope for a return visit soon!