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 An excellent series of dances - Dr. M. Surya Prasad e-mail: drmsuryaprasad@gmail.com August 11, 2023 An expert and seasoned dance guru, Darshini Manjunath is very active in the field of dance. Besides training many aspirants in Bharatanatyam, she has also successfully conducted several Rangapraveshas. In a series of Bharatanatyam recitals held at Bangalore, her disciples performed commendably and remarkably well. Sandhya Manikandan is a multi faceted dancer. Right from her first step on to the arena of dance at Ravindra Kalakshetra till the end she was at her best negotiating the nritta, nrithya and abhinaya aspects. Her self-confidence and enthusiasm to give out the best in her made her performance an all round success.  Sandhya Manikandan Her stances flourished within the framework of a rigorous Bharatanatyam grammar. Sandhya beautifully portrayed the traits of Lord Ganesha in Ganesha Stuti which was preceded by a Pushpanjali. Her eloquent performance in praise of Goddess Saraswati through the unique Arabhi Chornika was striking. Ardhanarishwara Kauthuvam and Shabdam (Swati Thirunal's work on Lord Krishna's leelas) were creations that enthralled both the dancer and the audience. The piece de resistance of Sandhya's recital was an interesting Varnam in Ranjini ragam (Shimhavahini). The theme of the Varnam---a detailed explication of the glory of the Devi---was graphically presented. They were eye catching too. The various forms of loveliness and majesty of the goddess were seen intimately in a mature performance that was perfected by Sandhya's sattvikabhinaya. Her nritta and nrithya were of high class which showed her hard work and unending zeal. In the course of the Varnam, she artistically demonstrated the Navarasas. Skillfully choreographed by Guru Darshini Manjunath, Sambhoga and Viyoga rasas and Smitha, Hasitha, Vikasitha types of Hasya rasas in particular were handled with great care and clarity by Sandhya making it a treat to watch. The music support lent by Guru Darshini (nattuvangam), Bharathi Venugopal (vocal), Madhusudan (violin), Giridhar (mridangam), Venugopal (flute) and Prasanna Kumar (rhythm pads) was exemplary. Excellent group performances  A scene from Ramayana Guru Dr. Suparna Venkatesh of Sai Arts International is known for her chaste practices in imparting dance training and practiced discipline, trustworthiness and restraint in group dance choreographies. In her absence her disciples held the flag of their mentor high and won the appreciation of the audience by responding eloquently to the calls of the rhythm and emotions severally and jointly. In a group dance performance titled 'Smaranam' depicting the story of Ramayana held at Seva Sadan, Bangalore, the passion of each artiste gave meaning to the best quality of dance art and technique. The way in which the integrity of the rhythm was safely preserved, the transformation into various roles in a moment, the full use of the vast stage, the melodious recorded music collaboration, etc., made the program of the morning a special experience. The episodes of Ramayana were handled with great care. The agility of each of the dancers was superb always eager to land on the sam with precision. It was heartwarming to see the old dance tradition being carried forward with the help and care of the new generation of dancers. Donning the roles of various characters, the dancer-artistes excelled in bringing out the subtleties of the art and technique of dance. Commendable dance  Disha Manganahalli Another disciple of Guru Darshini, Disha Manganahalli, gave an enjoyable performance in the same series. Disha shone forth with her quality dancing in the ADA Rangamandira. The way Disha showed off her dancing skills in the traditional complex Alarippu was admirable. In the next Sri Chamundeshwari stuti, Devi's uniqueness as Mahishasura Mardini was noted in a smooth performance. A fairly popular Varnam "Velanai Varasolladi" was the main item. As per the inputs of the Varnam, Disha's portrayal of a pining heroine was eloquent and she stepped into the fast-paced jatis with ease and poise. The delineation of various circumstances of the heroine was meaningful. The nritta, nrithya and abhinaya were meritorious.  Dr. M. Surya Prasad is a music and dance scholar, critic and columnist who presided over the 51st national music conference of the century plus old Bangalore Gayana Samaj. He has been honoured with the title of Sangeetha Kalaa Rathna. |
