INDIA’S world-famous and most decorated Oddissi dancer, Dr Sonal Mansingh Padmavibhushan, is due to perform here at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday evening. The event is being organized by Guyana’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in collaboration with the Indian High Commission to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the equally renowned Indian scholar and philosopher, Dr. Rabindranath Tagore.
Considered an expert on Tagore, Dr. Mansingh will, during her sojourn here, be performing a programme of dance and music ‘Nayikaa’, which is essentially a portrayal of a woman in love in all the shades and nuances of the Ashta-Nayikaa genre.
According to a release from the organizers, a string of lyrics by Tagore, in which the poet expresses the various emotions and feelings of intense love a woman undergoes, many a times in relation to different moods of nature, forms the tapestry of the presentation.
Noting that there are eight kinds of situations which have been described by the traditional literature in which the woman, i.e., nayikaa, experiences love in its many dimensions, the release says: “This is a rare choreography, melding the classical concept of ashtanayika to Tagore’s lyrics. They are set in the original melody indicated, but also use different ragas to weave the garland of situations.”
The choreography involves four dancers from the four female classical dance styles (namely Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam) and one male Chhau dancer as the protagonist.
The eight songs for the eight Naayikas will be presented by the four females, each interpreting the song in their own special style, and with Tagore lyrics interspersed with the music typical to that style.
The ‘laasya’, as the graceful feminine dances are called, are juxtaposed with the vigorous Chhau dance style of the male depicting the Nayaka, whose presence or absence or dalliance evokes strong action and reaction. 
This type of dance draws heavily from the lore of Radha-Krishna, so deeply etched in the collective consciousness of India.
Also noteworthy, the release says, is how Tagore’s relationship with nature (like clouds, rain, wind, breeze, water, sunset etc.) evokes various moods in the psyche of the Naayika, the romantic heroine.
Also of interest is Tagore’s constant sub-text of spiritual longing, so close to the Sufis and Bhakti-poets of medieval India. As Tagore himself did not write a special or separate tribute to the Ashta-Naayika, this choreography assumes special significance by drawing from various works of his to build a structure that is human, yet transcending the mundane.
The use of five of the most interesting dance-forms adds variety, colour and lustre to the presentation.
Dr. Mansingh started her dancing career in 1961, and has performed in over 100 countries.
She is reportedly the only dancer to visit Kailash Mansarover and perform in front of the holy mountain of Kailash.
Noted Hindi film director, Prakash Jha made a documentary on her in 2002, which won the national award for ‘Best Non-feature Film’.
Dr. Mansingh has worked on Tagore Literature and Songs since 1961. Her first programme on Tagore was in Mumbai, when the Late Pankaj Mullick sang.
The public is invited to see this magnificent dancer in action. Admission to the event is free.