Dante Alighieri’s La Divina Comedia explores the themes of temptation, damnation and redemption. The Dancers’ Guild’s presentation, Agama Antara Parabare (Deep Sea Within), at EZCC reimagined the epic poem through contemporary dance, foregrounding the emotional entanglements of transgressive women. Hell, Purgatory and Paradise are depicted using navanritya, the physical idiom that blends diverse forms, traditions, imagery and metaphors. Choreographed and directed by Aishika Chakraborty, Sudipta Kundu and Jonaki Sarkar, the hellish experience was expressed in the writhing movements of dancers as Dante meets Paolo and Francesca, the transgressing lovers. Dante’s trepidation is clear in his back and forth movements, while the interplay between the lovers is conveyed through playful gestures.
The music by Subrata Bose was impressive — the sensory mise-en-scène produced by wrenching sound effects was punctuated with songs like “Aji jharer raate tomar abhisar”, highlighting the characters’ dilemma. Props were used sparingly; the suggestive exploration of the stage space with fabric was imaginative.