There lies a tapestry of tales caged in the human soul. Stories about life, death and beyond... That’s what Soul Cages — The Story Of Life, Death and Beyond is all about.
It envelops an artistic experience, effectively capturing the cycles of life and death as a journey rather than an embryonic-start-to-a-wilting-end in itself. This unique presentation is structured on a beautiful imagery and a heart-warming narrative, told through the fluid grace and style of Bharatnatyam, the traditional South-Indian classical dance form.
Leading exponent of the craft, Savitha Sastry, renders this solo-act with much sophistication and finesse to enthral the astute audience and a horde of avid lovers of dance. A critical appraisal of such a unique and spectacular performance reads that while a clout of discerning connoisseurs of the artform will be bewitched by the subtle nuances employed in Sastry’s presentation, the uninitiated novice will but madly fall in love with the art by merely watching it. Although it is said that Soul Cages is partly musical, and partly, a dance performance while the rest thrives as a visual narrative, yet the direct witnesses vouch for the fact that it is more than just what meets the eye and vastly scales beyond the sum-total of all its integral parts.
“Soul Cages is about the continuous extension of life and death and of the events which might spring up from nowhere if this collage of continuum is broken. It is a story mostly depicted through the eyes of a child,” briefs Sastry about her production which is so aesthetically designed and choreographed. When asked, how did the concept germinate, Sastry fondly recollects its genesis: “It so happened that the writer of Soul Cages — Mr. A. K. Srikanth and I have mulled over many a time and happily happened to talk about life and death in the unlikeliest of settings such as an airport lounge, prolonged flights or swanky coffee shops. I mean there were several such philosophical discussions revolving on the topic at different points of time and locations. The ideas then seamlessly kept flowing in at regular intervals and sort of crystallised into a connecting story which left me amply absorbed with it. I was really quite taken in with the whole concept. Then we mutually decided to script a stage play and adapt it to a Bharatnatyam dance-narrative.”
Speaking about her conceptualising the choreographic piece, Sastry says: “Well, it was precisely two years back in late 2010, that I first saw Soul Cages, having been woven into a story format. It was sent to me via an e-mail. By this time, I was firmly convinced at heart that a story honestly riding on its fabric of impeccable simplicity can impressively strike a deep, powerful chord in the audience-minds without even resorting to the so-called cogent agents like spirituality, religion or mythology as its ingredients for sale. This belief was rightly validated through an expansive tour with my previous production theme called Music Within. But when I read the text of Soul Cages, I was left intensely moved, disturbed and at the same time, felt a bit apprehensive about how to bring it alive onto the stage. I never doubted its excellence from the story point of view but was a tad sceptic about its practical transformation on a public platform, and that too in a solo performance with a dazzling visual delight.”
Despite a filament of uncertainty creeping in, Sastry went ahead to shape up her pet-project, which bore fruition after much effort and contemplation devoted towards it. “The gestation period is paramount you see. If one surmounts this phase without a jerk, then the remaining body falls in place. You are then sure to have half the battle won. In this case, what followed next was three months of ‘dance boarding’, wherein a series of visual screen-shots was captured from the story. Look, a dancer has to keep intact the primary basics right in tandem with the scriptwriter’s vision. For instance, the story line, the shifting moods and the character-sketches as envisaged by him on paper. I mean, both should be on the same page while driving the venture-vehicle on the road to its route of success. Gradually, the desired form emerges and that involves a host of gruelling hours of trial and error, pangs of speculations, the agony of critiquing and then, hitting the right note to attain a creative high! Fortunately, my artistic flights of imagination were also kept in strict coherence with the story as Srikanth had insisted on not deviating from the true context which signifies the core of a developing endeavour. By March 2011, I knew exactly what the experience would feel like and was closely cruising towards a clear picture with an utmost vein of satisfaction,” she says.
No rest assured, Soul Cages doesn’t tread the trademark line of fusion unlike its contemporaries. We all know that it is so otherwise common in the arena of populist entertainment, packaged for gimmick and show. “I don’t espouse a shallow piece of entertainment. For me, my dance is pure and pristine. It offers a spiritual salvation. It is not only my art but a way of life. See, to put it in black and white, Bharatnatyam does not call for a hollow, fusionistic blend. For it is immaculately complete on its own. Its repertoire is so huge and pervasive that any concept of meaningful substance can be portrayed along its path without having to borrow elements from other dance styles. Soul Cages is solely based on Bharatnatyam. And I have only accentuated it by a thorough use of voice-overs, a clutch of visuals and an unusual storyline,” she confirms, setting the record straight.
Currently in the process of creating her next production through the reputed production house Sai Shree Arts, Sastry declares in the affirmative that “Yes, we are indeed devising to premier our new venture, come January 2013. I can just safely admit that the production has a magnum opus feel about it and that it would impel the viewers to understand spirituality in an everyday sense,” reveals the Delhi-based agile dancer. Prod her a little to apprise of her future plans and pat comes her instant reply: “I’d definitely wish to float my own dance academy in the capital, shortly in near future.”
Good news is that she is already in the process of establishing her dream-institute in the city.