Rima Kallingal's Yamuna is a spellbinding performance

Rima Kallingal’s Yamuna, a collaboration with musician Sreevalsan J Menon, is a mesmerising eight minute performance that reminds us what a talented dancer and choreographer she is. The performance was unveiled on social media on Friday evening.

The work has seven women and six male dancers, with the former’s fluid and latter’s vigorous movements juxtaposed in different segments, put together in a beautifully balanced whole. Throw in the music, which is a combination of classical and contemporary, and Yamuna makes for a spellbinding performance.

Speaking to us earlier, Rima said, “Sreevalsan sir did not want very traditional images of water. He was looking at a completely contemporary vibe to the performance, but the song is classically rooted, because after all, it is from him. Having said that, I must add that the orchestration is contemporary and Western. It is quite a song.”

Rima is the focal point for the blue attired women dancers, who enact birds, boats and the flow of the river in graceful sways and nimble moves, as the singer’s deep voice calls out in Advaita Dasa’s words to the “Neela nayane Yamune (The blue eyed river)”. The performance, which aims to shine a light on the plight of our

rivers

and the need to conserve them, seems to transport you to a different time and place.

The project was conceived and composed by Sreevalsan J Menon and produced by Binu Panicker. The cinematographery is by Pratap Nair and editing is by Ajay Kuyiloor. The choreography of the male dancers was done by Santhosh Madhav.

Watch the

dance

here: https://youtu.be/2BSBULuZW28