Utrai by Hrishikesh Pawar & Ensemble

Through Kathak, contemporary dance and live music, dancer and choreographer Hrishikesh Pawar and Pralay Band explore our connection with nature and the longing to find our way back to it.

We are part of nature, yet modern life often draws us away from it. This tension lies at the heart of ‘Utrai’, a contemporary dance production by Hrishikesh Pawar in collaboration with Pralay Band (Ecology Society Band). Bringing together Kathak, contemporary dance, live music and poetic storytelling, the work explores our sense of belonging and the place of nature in our lives.

As movement and music unfold in dialogue, the performance invites audiences to consider how simplicity and a deeper awareness of ourselves can help restore our bond with the natural world. Drawing on the rhythms of the earth and the wisdom of longstanding traditions, ‘Utrai’ offers a moment to reflect on how we live and the harmony we share with our surroundings.

Pawar’s practice combines his Kathak training with contemporary dance and improvisation. He began studying Kathak with Manisha Abhay, later trained with Guru Rohini Bhate and Guru Sharadhini Gole, and continues to learn under Guru Amala Shekhar. His time at the Palucca Schule Dresden in Germany encouraged him to explore how Kathak and contemporary dance could inform his movement. He founded the Centre of Contemporary Dance in Pune in 2007, followed by the Hrishikesh Dance Company in 2009, to support dance education, performance and collaboration.

This performance is supported by Reliance Foundation.