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 Dhara - an evening of Kuchipudi - Shyamhari Chakra e-mail: shyamharichakra@gmail.com Photos courtesy: India Habitat Centre, New Delhi November 8, 2024 Unlike its counterparts like Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, Kuchipudi gets lesser projection in the national capital region of Delhi. Thus, Dhara - an evening of Kuchipudi presented by Lasyakalpa Ensemble from Hyderabad at India Habitat Centre on October 10 offered the dance connoisseurs of Delhi a rare opportunity to experience the authentic aroma of the dance tradition from the land of its origin. Lasyakalpa Ensemble is led by its founder-director DSV Sastry who serves the Department of Dance at the University of Hyderabad as a vocalist. He is a rare combination of a guru, choreographer, vocalist, nattuvanar and music composer. The trio that represented the Ensemble included Kiranmayee Madupu who returned to her Telugu roots of Kuchipudi after two decades of career as a Bharatanatyam soloist; scholar-dancer Vaishnavi PB who is pursuing her doctoral research in Kuchipudi at the University of Hyderabad and Anusha Srinivas, a master's degree holder in Kuchipudi from the University of Hyderabad. Three of them have embraced dance as their principal profession.  Their brief but impressive concert that spread over less than an hour commenced with Herambham, an ovation to Lord Ganesh - the elephant-headed god - seeking his blessings to nurture and flourish Natyavriksha, the sacred tree of Kuchipudi art. Set to ragam Hamsadhwani and Sanskrit lyrics penned by Lasyakalpa Ensemble artistic director Katyayani Kanak, its choreography and music composition were by DSV Sastry. Prahalada Pattabhisheka Shadam, the duet that followed by Anusha as the little prince Prahlada and Vaishnavi as his demon-king and father Hiranyakashyapa, was a traditional composition of the age-old Kuchipudi tradition that has been reimagined for the proscenium stage with theatrical brilliance by DSV Sastry. The gripping duel between the father and the son was elaborately and convincingly illustrated with juxtaposition of the characters of contrasting nature. As both the dancers became the narrators and then the characters coupled with an interplay of melodic lyrical passages and rhythmic expressions, the beauty of the theatre elements in Kuchipudi were beautifully explored.  Another duet followed. But unlike the earlier dreaded one between a father and his son, it was a delightful duel between two loving brothers. Titled Amadala Aata, it was a unique composition by the famed Telugu saint-musician Annamayya that portrayed how Krishna playfully duped his brother Balarama while sharing his fruit with him. Little Krishna insists that he is taller than his elder brother and hence should be taken seriously. However, Balarama has the last laugh who defiantly reminds his naughty younger brother that no matter how illustrious he was as the lord of the seven hills, he will always be elder to him! Chemistry was at its best between the two dancers - Anusha as Krishna and Kiranmayee as Balaram - as they convincingly crept under the skins of the characters. Composer Annamayya says that even the Gods find amusement in the banter between the twin-like brothers. While we didn't have the scope to verify his claims, we, the audience, were certainly amused to watch the mythical Krishna-Balaram in human form on the stage. The trio concluded their concert with a customary Thillana. Set to ragam Kedaragowla, it was composed by Bokka Kumaraswamy, gifted grandson of the renowned Yakshagana legend Chinta Venkataramayya. We learnt that Kumaraswamy was a multifaceted artiste, renowned for his prowess as a vocalist, violinist, nattuvanar, sutradhari, and a musician as well. And as a homage to the legacy, composer and choreographer DSV Sastry - who is also a multi-talented artiste - offered his tribute through this specially crafted Thillana. Though Lasyakalpa founder-director DSV Sastry was not physically present at the concert, the connoisseurs could feel and aptly acknowledged the highest degree of his artistic creativity and brilliance through the four of his unique choreographies that his three worthy disciples staged. Guru Sastry's works spoke volumes of his stature. And the concert was also aptly titled Dhara - the flow of continuity - that delineated the continuity of the authentic Kuchipudi tradition.  A former journalist and arts critic with The Indian Express and The Hindu newspapers for over two decades, Shyamhari Chakra is a New Delhi based independent journalist writing on cultural affairs. |
