Trikāyā by Bijayini Satpathy: Solo Odissi with Live Music at Asia Society
Photo Credit: instagram.com/bijayinisatpathy/
Acclaimed Odissi dancer and choreographer Bijayini Satpathy brings Trikāyā (Three Bodies) to Asia Society for its New York City premiere, presenting an hour-long solo Odissi performance accompanied by live music.
Drawing from the Mahabharata, Trikāyā revisits the story of Brihannala, the form assumed by the warrior Arjuna during the final year of his exile. After being cursed by the celestial nymph Urvashi, Arjuna takes on a transgender form and becomes a dance instructor to Princess Uttara. Through this transformation, Satpathy explores desire, vulnerability, embodiment, and the fluidity of identity.
Rooted in the vocabulary of Odissi, the performance examines how a classical dance tradition shaped by both feminine histories and male lineages can express identities beyond rigid gender binaries. Satpathy embodies four characters during the work — Arjuna, Urvashi, Brihannala, and a young princess — moving between masculine and feminine narratives through precise movement and emotional expression.
The performance features an original score by singer and composer Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, who provides live musical accompaniment. With its intersection of Indian mythology, classical dance, gender, and contemporary interpretations of identity, Trikāyā is particularly relevant for audiences interested in both Indian and LGBTQ+ culture in NYC.
