The nation celebrated its 100th International Women's Day two days back. Many programmes were organised across the country to mark the anniversary. There were some unfortunate incidents too like the attack on the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha when the Reservation on the Women's Bill was presented, elsewhere in the city at Chinmaya Mission a dance performance depicting the power of women by Geeta Chandran left all those present spell-bound. For those who are not familiar with the name Geeta Chandran, she is among the well-known Bharatanatyam dancers of the new generation. She has been performing regularly and has grown into a mature performer with a distinctly creative mind. Blending tradition and innovation, she has experimented with issues and concerns of contemporary relevance in her dance.

The performance opened with the traditional natyanjali - an abstract innovation of space in which the dancers made a ritual entry and paid their obeisance to the earth and the four directions. The fluid hand movements and steps were in perfect rhythm of the classical music in the background. This was followed by yet another brilliant piece of work. The Vande Mataram, in which Chandran enacted what the poet had visualised in the song. This was followed by Devi Stuti. Called the "Ai Giri Nandini" is about celebrating the many facets of Goddess Durga as she battles the evil in all its manifestations. As Chandran moved across the stage covering the entire floor, the sheer power of the dance was evident. Goddess Durga is an epitome of not just power, she is also a woman. A woman who is viewed by Chandran as a metaphor for the creative spirit that kindles the universe.

Unfortunately, power is something that is not a reality for the Indian woman. And this was the theme of Chandran's and the dance company's next performance. In this, the trapped spirit of the women in glass vessels of various shapes and kinds was showcased. The vessels, of course, symbolise the various realities that bind a woman. The dancers vide their expressions drive home the truth that these spirited women want to break the glass cages and join the river and flow with it in its carefree buoyancy. The performance ends on a jubilant note as a few dancers rush across the stage and express their joy when the dreams are realised.

Chandran's last dance ended on a negative note. In this she showcased the fractured realities that make up the lives of the woman today. Dancing to the tunes of the music by Shobha Mudgal, Chandran through her abhinay and incomplete movements shows how the women have been caught and trapped - their personalities deprived of a place that they can call their own. In all her performances, the highlight was the effortless way that Chandran was able to weave the abstract so skilfully into her dance.

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