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Satyanarayana
Raju's dazzling performance at BIAF
September 20, 2009  Bangalore
International Arts Festival 2009 organized by Kuchipudi exponent Veena
Murthy Vijay and celebrated veena player Suma Sudhindra, showcased the
works of leading artistes like Sonal Mansingh, Kathak exponents Nirupama
and Rajendra, the country's leading musicians like violinist L Subramaniam,
and well known artistes from Bangalore and Kolkata. BIAF has added a new
festival to the Bangalore Chapter which is already thronging with umpteen
dance festivals happening throughout the year and especially during the
December season.
Satyanarayana Raju, one of Karnataka's finest Bharatanatyam exponents, is a senior most disciple of Guru Narmada and later trained under Guru B Bhanumati. He was given an opportunity to showcase his talent amongst the crowd of celebrities. This well established senior dancer of Bangalore, who has already created a niche for himself with his performances both inside and outside the country, bears the stamp of the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Late Guru Narmada's bani. Commencing his recital with an Arabhi Pushpanjali choreographed by Guru Narmada, Satya instantaneously created a spark amongst the aficionados. Dance is a visual art and for a male Bharatanatyam dancer to survive amongst the elfin female dancers and definitely to underlie with the Darwinian principle of "survival of the fittest," the art of presentation is a major factor. Satya's well maintained physique along with his sharp face is definitely a plus point. Moving on to the central piece of the evening was the crowning item of Bharatanatyam – the Varnam. With the verses taken from Krishna Karunamrutha Slokam with the lyrics "Sri Krishna Kamala Nathoo" set to Raag Reethigaula and Adi Tala, the item is transformed into a Varnam format, a choreography of Guru Narmada. This item vouches for its overwhelming and dazzling jathis with its well thought sancharis describing the Poothana and Geetopadesam episode from Mahabharata, aesthetically synchronized to provide the Varnam an added dynamism. Especially the immediate jathi after the beginning of the Charanam "Gopa Gopi swaro Gopi surya koti samaprabaha" is noted for its complexities, juxtaposing the various permutation, combinations of the adavus. The stopping of the jathi for a fraction of second and immediately starting them undeniably reveals the choreographic brilliance of the composer with the dancer executing them immaculately. The work of the choreographer shines through the artiste who executes it. Satya has done full justice to the assiduous training he has imbibed, with ease. His neat aramandis are definitely a treat for the eyes and concurrently the impeccable teermanams and the adavus executed is highly laudable. The piece de resistance of the evening was a Devarnama composed by Guru Bhanumati set to Raag Purvi Kalyani in Adi Tala. With the lyrics "Hanumantha Deva Namo Namo," the artiste successfully brought out with ease, the various rasas of the episodes from Ramayana concomitant with Sri Hanuman. The archetypal gait of Hanuman, his crossing of the ocean to reach Lankapuri, his metamorphosis into a shorter form to avoid the eyes of the demons to reach Sita, were magnificently portrayed by Satya. The convulsion of Hanuman seeing Sita trying to hang herself using the hanging offshoot roots of the tree and the panic stricken Hanuman’s crying of "Amma Amma" to stop her from doing so thereby taking Sri Rama's name and giving her the ring given to him by the Lord, were very dramatically portrayed by the handsome dancer. Satya's geometric sense in using the proscenium deserves high praise. The singer
Srivatsa's usage of correct diction with his melodious and bhava filled
singing especially during the abhinaya sequences of both the devarnama
and the varnam (the Geetopodesham episode) deserves appreciation. Orchestral
support with Shakuntala Raghavendra as a nattuvanar, Nataraj Murthy on
violin and Gurumurthy on mridangam, definitely speaks for a rounded performance.
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