Antar Yatra for a cause

Apasaras were the celestial dancers who occupy a major space in Indian mythology, and had been an inspiration to all dancers in the past. AIM for Seva is organizing their annual fundraiser – ‘Antar Yatra, The Journey Within’ at Kamani Auditorium in the national Capital. ‘Antar Yatra’ gives the audience a glimpse into the inner world of the women dancers of India. It is about their tentative journey of conflicting thoughts, emotions and of the magical world they believe in and create. 

The theme of the dance production is ‘Temple Dance Traditions’ which deals with the Apasaras. 

Temple dancers, court dancers and other professional dancers of the past considered themselves to be the incarnations of the Apsaras. They engage in intimate dialogues with the abstract and bring the essence of it to the common man. Using three different dance forms, the performers attempt to capture the life the artistic vision and the inner domain of the women dancers of India from the past to the present.

Choreographed and directed by Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee Sharmila Biswas, Founder of the Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, Kolkata, the dance-drama will tour seven cities (Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore and Bhuvaneshwar). Through a collection of songs sung in six different languages, the dance-drama curated by Sharmila invites the audience to travel between the real and the make believe with three classical Indian dance forms-Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. Elements like the multiple voices of the narrator along with the art of puppetry and Pinnal Pollattam, a traditional folk dance of Tamil Nadu performed during the harvesting season, aims to heighten the experience of Antar Yatra.

AIM for Seva (All India Movement for Seva) is an integrated community development program, reaching out to rural and tribal children across India which manages over 100 Free Student Hostels (FSH) in India. It’s mission is to make educational facilities accessible to the underprivileged children. All proceedings from the sale of donor passes will go towards educating children. One may purchase the passes for the occasion for Rs 200, Rs 500 or Rs 1000.