Four women and various shades of womanhood

At a recent evening in the Capital, famous Kathak dancers, Guru Shovana Narayan and her disciples Shruti Gupta Chandra, Kartika Singh and Mrinalini, together presented existing pieces from their guru's repertoire along with pure dance pieces set to teen taal, dhamar and 11 beats.

Guru Shovana Narayan manifests a philosophical turn to a woman. She questioned life, her existence and the meaning thereof. She asked – Who am I? This quest for a deeper meaning to life itself culminates in a joyful bouquet of colours - "Bahurang". Bahurang was a dance show which celebrated many varied shades of a woman – her strength and her delicacy, her fortitude and her sensitivity, her resilience and her feminity.

Shruti Gupta Chandra explored a new colour of a woman, that of a mother. Through the story of Yashodhara, wife of Gautam Budha, she explores the intrinsic strength of a woman who even lets go of her most prized love, her child. Shruti Gupta Chandra said, "That particular fact was unknown to me and also absolutely irrelevant. I just knew I had to learn. It was a fascinating introduction into the world of Kathak."

The second colour of a young woman, aware and buoyant revels in her own feminity. Kartika Singh embodies this young woman facing the struggle of maturity.

A woman, in the first stages of girlhood, is a colour brought forth by Mrinalini. She dances with her dreams alive and waits for a glorious tomorrow with full energy.