|     |
|
| |
 Chidambara Rahasyam: A multi-sensory treat for the soul - Vinita Radhakrishnan e-mail: vinitaradhakrishnan@gmail.com Photos: Arjun Jith February 12, 2024 On the 25th of January 2024, I was blessed with an opportunity to attend a very special event at ADA Rangamandira, Bangalore. The Guru pushya nakshatra in the Tayi masam of the Tamil calendar fell on this day. It is believed that the celestial Shiva tandava was witnessed by Vyagrapada and Patanjali on this very day in Chidambaram. Vinay Varanasi, a known name in the dance community presented a unique production 'Chidambara Rahasyam' in collaboration with Spoorthi Rao and Varun Shivkumar. This distinctive production of storytelling enriched with music and dance was truly a multi-sensory experience.  Vinay Varanasi The dancer in me often relies on Vinay's description of mythological events to enrich my choreographies and as usual, he was on point this time as well. As expected, it was a delightful treat to listen to Vinay effortlessly weave the story of Chidambara Rahasyam in his breezy signature style, making it relatable to all ages. But what made this event extra special was the musical and visual enhancement it provided to the audience. Vinay had designed this event of storytelling carefully interspersed with an extraordinary selection of timeless and relevant musical compositions and glimpses of the celestial dance that Chidambaram is known for.  Spoorthi Rao  Varun Shivkumar While I knew what to expect from a Vinay Varanasi session when I went to the event, Spoorthi Rao's musical prowess was truly the most unexpected surprise package. She treated the audience with a carefully curated basket of songs which took the storytelling to a whole new level. She was strongly supported by a wonderful orchestra of Sruti Sarathy on violin and Adamya Ramanand. Spoorthi is definitely a singer to look out for and her evolved and involved music really touched my heart. Her rendition of "Ne mama bilvarchana jaisi" was extraordinary and deserves a special mention.  As the story progressed to Vyagrapada's first encounter with Shiva's celestial dance, Vinay introduced a new element into his storytelling, the element of dance. Varun Shivkumar, an upcoming young dancer, appeared on stage, giving just a glimpse of the magnificent Lord and his dance. The stage arrangement and the lighting at this point took the experience to an elevated level creating the mysticism that the story demanded. Varun is a strong and energetic dancer and his dance added another experiential layer to Vinay's storytelling. As the story progressed to the stage of Sabha Nirmanam, Spoorthi rendered the audience speechless with her extraordinary rendition of "Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara Chidambaresha Nataraja" which was followed by Varun dancing to the tunes of "Natanavilasa chitt sabhesha". Varun's clean lines, majestic presence, and flawless execution of Akashcharis made this performance effective, in line with what the story demanded. This was followed by "Enneramum undan". Varun's execution of this keertanam was very soulful and heartfelt. This trio truly made the event a treat to the ears, eyes, and the mind and I feel blessed to have witnessed it.  Bangalore based Bharatanatyam dancer Vinita Radhakrishnan has a Diploma from the Attakkalari Center for Movement Art with basic training in various contemporary dance techniques, Ballet, Kalari, Chhau and Deverattom. Professionally, she is a Patent Attorney and is currently working as a Senior Partner at BananaIP Counsels. |
