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 Bharata Kalanjali's immaculate training - Pallavi Phatak e-mail: pallavi7@gmail.com Photos: C.P. Satyajit March 3, 2023 Bharata Kalanjali hosted the performances of two budding dancers, Maya Shoko (Japanese) and Anjannaa Ashok, on 25th February 2023. It was very evident in both Maya Shoko and Anjanaa Ashok the immaculate training they both received in Bharata Kalanjali keeping a high standard of Bharatanaatya.  Maya Shoko Maya Shoko began the evening with a Ganesha Vandanam in Nattai - a sprightly start. Her grasp of nritta was demonstrated by a rendition of the Ragamalika Nrittaswaravali and the Nrittangaharam in Kadanakutoohalam at the end. Between these two pieces, a Keerthanam in Kedaragowla portrayed Maya's still evolving understanding of the expression style that is unique to Bharatanatyam. Her dedication to the art form is remarkable and this made Maya's performance inspirational overall. Shobana Bhalchandra under whom Shoko is being groomed conducted her performance.  Anjanaa Ashok Anjanaa Ashok had a strong start to her performance with Nataraja Anjali. Right from this point, Anjanaa's deep internalization of abhinaya shone through and demonstrated the impressive emotive range she is capable of - from the Nrityopaharam "Rupamu juchi" (Thodi), a Keerthanam on Karpagavalli (ragamalika), and the padam "Aedukkithanai" (Surutti). Struggling with a foot injury, Anjanaa's nritta suffered and this was particularly evident in the Nrittangaharam in Hindolam that she concluded her performance with. The orchestra consisting of Shanta Dhananjayan (nattuvangam), Viswajit Vinod (vocal), Vishnu Prasad (mridangam) and Durga Ganesh (violin) provided good support to both dancers. The venue - Bharata Kalanjali's TEACH auditorium (Spastic Society of Tamilnadu) - is a new performance space that has all the elements required for an aesthetic and uplifting art experience. A semi-open space that is well-lit and acoustically good, it not only meets professional standards of high-quality performance but is also an interestingly sized space if artistes would like a personal connection with their audience and at the same time experience the expanse of a large auditorium. Stay tuned for the Jharna festival at the TEACH auditorium at Bharata Kalanjali that is to take place from 3rd - 5th and 10th - 12th of March. Visit the Bharata Kalanjali website, Facebook or Instagram for details.  Pallavi Phatak is an experienced educationist and Bharatanatyam practitioner. Although a busy consultant engaged in strategy, research, and design for education projects, and formerly an educator, she has reflected on her relationship with naatyam, over three decades, to explore its possibilities for holistic education. |
