Depicting a child's love through dance

Kathak danseuse, Sanchita Abrol, a disciple of Padma Shri Guru Shovana Narayan presents "Shadowed Colours," child's love befallen to white darkness. Conceptualised and directed by Sanchita Abrol, this performance will be held as a part of the 'Lalit Arpan Festival 2017'.

The performance is based on the epic literary prose, 'Agnisagar' by the renowned author Padma Shri Dr Shyam Singh Shashi, which portrays through the 'smriti's' of Manu, human nature as it passes cycles of time. It illustrates the excerpts of the unending journey of Manu, interpreting 'Manusmriti' in social change. A child's love is lost through, and ultimately to, the ages. It is replaced with the unrighteousness of humanity like silhouettes that know no bounds. A love now reflected in sufferings by attribution to divine dogma. As spheres close and modernity diverges–all that is left is white darkness. In this solace, the vision of antiquity is contrasted with the derogation of nobility.

Sanchita Abrol says, "Manusmriti means the code of Manu or Manav as we remember. Considered as one of the earliest traditional literature available on Hinduism, it was also one of the first Sanskrit texts translated during the British rule of India, by Sir William Jones, to formulate the Hindu law and public policy framework under the colonial government. However, after many translations and interpretations, the text has lost its value as an ancient scripture. Based on 'Agnisagar', Manu in this dance drama depicts the divergence in text from antiquity to modernity, when suffering displaces a child's love born from protection for his mother. While pursuing my public policy and management degree, I read some segments of Manusmriti and when I read Dr Shyam Singh Shashi's poetry 'Agnisagar', I felt compelled to present it on stage through my dance Kathak." she shared.

The event is scheduled to be held on September 21, 2017 at 6:45 PM, at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.