Choreographed and performed by Bijayini Satpathy
Music composed by Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy
Lighting and stage design by Sujay Saple­­­

In her fifth and final performance as 2021–2022 MetLiveArts Artist in Residence, the incomparable choreographer and dancer Bijayini Satpathy built on her prior explorations of movement and art with an evening-length performance for the stage of the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. The new work, entitled “Dohā,” navigates the relationship between prayer and play, moving away from the Odissi dance form’s customary theistic depictions to highlight the bhāva—emotional experience—of prayer as an embodied human act. Within the discipline of ritualized prayer, Satpathy embraces play and playfulness as an essential part of the individual’s search for the divine.

“This work sincerely acknowledges and offers gratitude to the Mahari temple dancers and young Gotipua dancers of Orissa, whose contributions have made Odissi as loved and rich as it is today. ” —Bijayini Satpathy

This evening of dance is in memory of the painter Sam Gilliam (1933–2022).

For more information and a complete list of artists, view the performance program here.

“Dohā” made possible by The Arnhold Fund for Dance Innovation at The Met and the New York State Council on the Arts.  Additional support was provided by the Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Recorded on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 in The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

© 2023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art