Rachna Yadav's mesmerising Kathak Recital of 'Nirantar' || For that one hour, the artist was our connection to divinity
It was a hot evening, though a thunderstorm was predicted. However, we had a very interesting event to go to and we wouldn't miss it for anything, not even the prospect of driving from Noida to Delhi on a Friday Evening. Rachana Yadav, the renowned Kathak Dancer, was going to perform solo at the India International Center. After two weeks of staying at home, this promised to be the perfect opportunity to take our minds off things and spend some meditative moments witnessing art.
Rachana Yadav belongs to the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak, which is known for its graceful hand movements and facial expressions, and of course much more than that. At the age of 30, Rachana happened to watch a dance recital by Aditi Mangaldas and got drawn toward this classical dance form.
Rachana became a disciple of Aditi Mangaldas and has since long been a repertory member of The Drishtikon Dance Foundation: Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company. She has also undergone advanced level training with Pt. Jaikishan Maharaj. Rachana has also completed her Prabhakar in Kathak from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad University.
In 2013, Rachana opened her own dance studio, the Rachana Yadav Kathak Studio, in Gurugram. She is a graded artist with Doordarshan and her Group is also empaneled with the ICCR. Rachana is also a choreographer and has performed at various national and international events.
On Friday, 20th May 2022, Rachana performed a solo recital of 'Nirantar' at IIC. 'Nirantar' depicts a continuous journey through moods and moments as the morning turns into night. In this continuous flow there is no beginning and no end. And yet, every moment is a new beginning.
The recital consists of four sections, each section corresponding to a part of day - Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. Each section captures the rhythms, sensations, and spiritual energy unique to the corresponding part of the day, through Nritta and Nritya, and the accompanying narration and music.
And like an angel, Rachana absolutely ruled the stage. Her grace, poise, and restraint were testimony to years of practice she has put into honing her skills. It is my personal belief that art is our way to connect with the divinity, and in that one hour, Rachana was the medium. The perfect co-ordination between her and her team of musicians enabled the performance to transcend.
Credits:
Concept & Choreography:
Rachana Yadav
Music Composition:
Samiullah Khan
Accompanying Artists:
Tabla- Yogesh Gangani
Pakhawaj- Mahaveer Gangani
Vocal & Harmonium: Samiullah Khan & Saba Hashmi
Flute: Kiran Kumar
Sarangi: Mohammad Ayyub
Lights:
Milind Srivastava
Sound Controls:
Prashant Chaudhry
Costumes:
Rachana Yadav
Literature & Text:
Morning Mantra- Atharv Ved
Afternoon Kavita - Rachana Yadav
Evening Bandish- Rachana Yadav & Samiullah Khan
Night Poetry- inspired by 'When I go alone at night' by RabindraNath Tagore
Hindi Rendition by : Som Thakur & Rachana Yadav
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