The Society of Pilar recently held its Sadbhav Christmas celebration at the Pilar Pilgrim Centre, where a special dance performance called ‘Cradle of Light’ told the story of the birth of Jesus through Bharatanatyam.
The performance, choreographed and directed by Impana Kulkarni, included Kulkarni along with a group from Vyomi Arts Centre, Porvorim, dancers Parijat Naik, Srushti Prabhudesai and Sakshi Borkar, with narration by Swara Prabhudesai.
“We named it ‘Cradle of Light’ because it was performed on the Winter Solstice and focuses on the nativity. This show focused on the birth of Jesus, the Massacre of the Innocents and the visit of the Three Wise Men,” explains Kulkarni. She adds that while preparing a performance normally takes a month, some ideas were already ready from earlier work, so the team finalised it in about a week.
The group’s performance at the Pilar Pilgrim Centre was the last of the season. “We hope to perform it again and make it even better. Father Elvis, who invited us, was very supportive and encouraging.” On using Bharatanatyam to tell the story, she says, “Classical dance is very good for storytelling. The fun is in choosing the right music and showing the story in the best way. It was a wonderful experience.”
The event also had a performance of the Konkani Christmas carol Mari Matek Ballok Zala by students of Fr Agnel College of Arts and Commerce, Pilar. The song was written by poet Manohar Rai Sardesai and composed by Michael Martins. Sadbhav Christmas is an interfaith celebration of music and dance. The chief guest, musician and actor Mukesh Ghatwal, spoke about how music connects people and explained Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means “the world is one family”. The guest of honour, Secretary of the Goa State Commission for Disabilities, Taha Haaziq, talked about interfaith harmony, while mental health expert Dr Ida Mukherjee addressed the inclusive spirit of Christmas.
