<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/mar/29-item-number.jpg" alt="" /> Pic Courtesy/Kunal Vijayakar
"There are references in literature dating back to the 12th century to dancing communities that would move from village to village in Maharashtra on bullock carts.
That's how far back Lavani goes," says Bhushan Korgaonkar, writer of the theatre production Sangeet Bari, which celebrates its second anniversary next month.
Korgaonkar and the director of the production, Savitri Medhatul, have spent several years trying to change how society perceives Lavani, a folk dance that has largely been popularised as an item number. The duo first partnered to make Natale Tumchya Saathi &ndash; Behind the Adorned Veil, a film on the lives of Lavani dancers, which was completed in 2008. Later, in 2014, Korgaonkar published a book called Sangeet Bari, following which the show by the same name was conceptualised.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/mar/29-item-number-1.jpg" alt="" />
Making it happen "It was Savitri's idea to combine live performances and excerpts from the book, which tells the tale of traditional Lavani dancers. Our aim was to give these artistes exposure while bridging the gap between them and an urban audience," says Korgaonkar.
Sangeet Bari focuses on a lesser-known style of Lavani, one that's more intimate. This is contrast to Tamasha, where troupes perform on stage before large audiences. "Sangeet bari was akin to a mujra, meant to be watched by only a handful of people. It was performed like a baithak, and had a lot of adakaari. You'll notice these elements even today," says Korgaonkar. He reveals that the Lavani dancers who are part of the production initially had a tough time adjusting to the large audience, whom they couldn't see or make eye contact with, something that is intrinsic to the style.
Unlike classical dance forms, Lavani is constantly reinventing itself. You will even find Lavanis about topics like female infanticide and rape. Moreover, many troupes now use Western instruments like the keyboard in addition to traditional ones like the dholki.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/mar/29-item-number-2.jpg" alt="" />
The way ahead Korgaonkar shares that for a production of this scale, the expenditure involved is high. "The artistes are not from Mumbai. So when they are coming here for a show, we have to factor in their food, travel, and their fee. Moreover, we may not always have a full house on the day. This means we can't recover the costs," he adds. As a result, he says, they often end up performing at private functions to cover expenses.
"With all the positive stuff that's said about us, people get the impression that it is doing incredibly well. But, this isn't the case," says the writer. However, with the concept of crowdfunding picking up steam, he thinks it might be a great way to keep the initiative alive.
<img title="Bhushan Korgaonkar" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/mar/28-bhushan.jpg" alt="Bhushan Korgaonkar" /> Bhushan Korgaonkar
Apart from this, the group is also trying to devise creative ways to reach out to a novel audience each time. "We notice that each show brings in the same audience. We need others to realise how much fun a Lavani performance is. We need to figure out how to bring in a new crowd."

Attend a workshop of Gurdjieff movements and whirling dances in Mumbai

As Sangeet Bari celebrates its second anniversary, writer Bhushan Korgaonkar talks about how the Lavani production came into being, and why crowdfunding might help preserve a dying art form

Writer Bhushan Korgaonkar talks about Lavani and how we can preserve the dying art form

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Home / Lifestyle / Culture / Article / Writer Bhushan Korgaonkar talks about Lavani and how we can preserve the dying art form

Writer Bhushan Korgaonkar talks about Lavani and how we can preserve the dying art form

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