Choreographies of Scent: A Libretto for Dance

Is

This space in between you and me
With woodpeckers peck pecking
And cuckoos cocooing
Their soft, sounds resounding
In ponds and coves and groves

The winds roamed the pillars and galleries
And the mother pine’s thick top trembled
Kneeling down with musk, you draw me
Over my pillars you stand
To see yourself in art
I am a parasol in your hand

Every time I hear a flutter
I imagine it’s you
Madly moved by a musky zest
I look all around for you

Tree scents make me shiver
Moon shafts waste me away
Anguished in your absence
I know not what to do

{Cut grass, Mint, Violette, Cedarwood, Amber …}

The poem precedes a dance inspired by Kalidasa’s Ritusamharam. The poem and the fragrance accompanying it are on permanent display at Centro de Arte Moderna, Lisbon.

The libretto below is the dance that accompanies the creation of a fragrance. A part of it was choreographed by Guru Mandakini Trivedi in January 2021.

Rise from slumber

Parrot walking

Parrot talking

Parrot walking

Seeing the forest in bursts of colour

Moving in a semicircle

Still walking

Seeing the forest in bursts of colour

Completing the semicircle

Jumping and Scenting

Jump and smell on the palm

See the fragrance in the air

Smell the fragrance in the air

Smell the fragrance in the air

Smell the fragrance in the air

Seeing Colours and Growth

Seeing colours—red and white—of the flowers in the forest

Seeing colours—red and white—of the flowers in the forest

Growing in the air

Trees shooting up in the air (Soochi Mudra)

Flowers blooming left and right

Flowers blooming left and right

Thick treetops of banyan trees

Thick treetops of banyan trees

Creepers

Creepers

Creepers

Waves in the river left to right

And the river moves

Lotus Swaying

Lotus swaying on right side (slow)

Lotus swaying on left side (slow)

Lotus swaying on right and left (faster)

(Torso movements)

Lotus swaying on left and right (faster)

(Torso movements)

Bees and Honey

Bees buzzing on the floor

On the ground in the shape of an 8

Bees buzzing on the floor

On the ground in the shape of an 8

Bees buzzing on the ground

Bees on the tree

Bees on the tree up

Bees on the tree down

Honey in the quiver

Throw quiver off the shoulder

Offering and Fragrance

Offer lotus in (Alapadma and Kapittha)

Pluck lotus and bring it closer to smell

(Alapadma and Kapittha)

Point at the (Alapadma)

Alapadma and enjoyment of its smell

By Katakamukha and Samdamsha

Bring the hands in (Kapota)

Throw the Kapota in the quiver

Walk and pluck a flower

Throw it in the quiver—the scent is unsuitable

Walk and pluck a flower

The fragrance is perfect

Desire Through Five Flowers

Stringing a garland

Throw it in the quiver

Getting up in (Aramandi)

Double hand (Katakamukha)

Finding a smell

Bringing it close

Like take a petal, crush it

Finding the blue lotus

Putting it on one shoulder

Putting it on another shoulder

Finds the arrow

Shooting it

Finale

I am smell

Credits:

An excerpt from the libretto: Alta, A Ballet in One Act with Perfumes as Protagonist

Music Parvesh Java Choreography Mandakini Trivedi Libretto Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan Photography Shivani Gupta

CHARACTERS Alchemist Adela Ortega Garzaran Islanders Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of the Audience Dancer 1 Shivani Gupta Perfumer and Dancer 2 Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan

RUNNING TIME Approx 25 mins, no interval 1 Act, 5 Scenes

Reproduced with permission from Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan