Jugalbandi: What is Fusion Dance?

What is Jugalbandi? Indian Fusion Dance

A fusion is always in trend and is an all-time favorite for a sophisticated set of audiences. Jugalbandi dance performances have always been applauded, and when it comes to a Bharatanatyam and Kathak fusion, it is sublime! Here, I am with one where I aim to blend the features of both into one single performance.

Here is a perfect jugalbandhi fusion dance, encompassing the lasya bhava of Bharatanatyam and drut laya of Kathak, choreographed on the breathtaking song by Shankar Mahadevan, Breathless!

I will discuss some of the individual characteristics of both dance forms before I talk about a Jugalbandi.

When it comes to Bharatanatyam, apart from all other things, I would like to stress the importance of body postures. The body movements of a dancer, along with his/her ways of carrying the body in a flow, play a remarkable role in the success of the performance. These are further complemented by their facial expressions. The whole body, from the tips of their toes to eyelids, has to be in sync to produce marvelous reflections. The body structure of the dancer also matters a lot here. Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra includes great details of these elements.

The basics of any Indian classical dance form comprise tala, laya, abhinaya, mudras, bhavas, etc., without which it is impossible to get started. Tala is the rhythmic pattern that defines the cycle of beats. The most common ones include Adi Tala and Misra Chapu. Laya, on the other hand, is the tempo or speed of our rendering. We divide laya into Vilambit, Madhya, and Drut mainly, though we can have other speed levels and combinations of them. Most importantly, tala and laya are things that should go closely with each other.

Watch my Mohe Rang Do Laal choreography, featuring my beloved nieces Lea, Vanessa, and Maria.

Abhinaya is how the dancer communicates meaning to the audience. It comprises four aspects, such as Angikam (which includes bodily movements, gestures, mudras, and postures), Vachikam (including the vocal communication), Satvikam (which includes emotional responses in the form of bhavas), and Aharyam (the external attire of the dancer, constituting the costume, makeup, ornaments, etc.).

While Bharatanatyam exhibits a reflection of Lord Shiva’s Tandava, Kathak is the telling of stories, and the tools used for this storytelling bring elegance to this classical dance form. Now, when talking about Kathak, what appeals the most is its Ada, along with subtle facial expressions, graceful movements, and explicit footwork! It amazes me when, even with eyebrows, the dancer communicates with the audience. Chakkars are another unavoidable part of this dance form, demanding the performer to keep balance, do spotting (with nazar), and maintain the flow.

Here’s a Kathak semi-classical rendering on the song, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil by ADDC

What is a Jugalbandi?

In the Indian artistic arena, a Jugalbandi refers to a live concert of two solo musicians (either vocal or on instruments) who are trying to give a “tit for tat,” usually coming out from their comfort zones. It can distantly be translated to a “fusion,” but with more intrinsic aspects interwoven with the artistic culture of the country. Jugalbandis are performed based on different Ragas, different pitches, different genres, and different styles in Indian classical music evolved with time. They include sessions juxtaposing between Hindustani and Carnatic music styles and even between Indian and Western classical music forms.

Along with music, the rich set of classical dance forms in the country have also experimented with Jugalbandis, usually between a vocalist and a dancer, an instrument and a dancer, male and female dancers, or between two dancers dancing in different classical forms altogether.

In Breathless ADDC choreography, I brought together Bharatanatyam and Kathak in one place. Since it was planned to be a semi-classical rendition, the song selection was of utmost importance, and I am so proud that I didn’t make a mistake there. When working with it, I was more than happy to find ways that justified the song and its meaning. Because of Shankar Mahadevan's magic, finding accurate moves for each musical bits was easy, and I believe that the performance well suits with the mood of the song. I also stressed on bhava (expressions) in it as the song required it. Moreover, we, Livia and me, both enjoyed performing it a lot.

In the Mohe rang do laal fusion dance (ADDC choreography) as well, I mixed both classical forms. But here, not even for a moment I thought of mixing up the forms too much by finding the identical moves, but I tried to bring out what each form can contribute to the song naturally. Moreover, since this piece was choreographed for my nieces, who are budding artists, it was little challenging for me to make the entire act suitable for them to bring out their talent and style (Each had unique style and excellent grace indeed) in the best possible way. And, I didn't want to impose much of my style on to them.

While Lea rendered the song most beautifully with her husky voice and modulations, Vanessa (who did the Bharatanatyam version) elegantly reflected my thought pattern, adding a little bit of naughtiness that rightly resonates with Lord Krishna. Maria (who performed the Kathak version), on the other hand, focused more on the style of the dance form itself and showcased more of her own nazakat!

After completing the both fusion choreographies, what I understood is that the aggressive nature of Bharatanatyam and the briskness of Kathak can well be amalgamated to bring out a fusion dance piece, making it a perfect Jugalbandi. It has been tried by many, and it is still on track to offer many more promising performances.


Thank you for being with me so far. I hope you are enjoying ADDC Choreography. You can expect more from me both in motion and in writing in the coming days. Happy dancing!