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 Soloists shine at Regatta Natya Sangeetholsavam - Hareesh N. Nampoothiri e-mail: haree@newnmedia.in Photos: Haree Fotografie December 2, 2024 Regatta Natya Sangeetha Kendra, a renowned dance institute in the capital city of Kerala, recently celebrated its annual anniversary with a grand five-day event, the 'Natya Sangeetholsavam'. While it is customary for the institute's students to showcase their talent during the celebration, what sets the event apart is its platform for accomplished artistes from outside the institute. This year, two evenings featured captivating solo performances by Sandhya Easwar and Rachitha Ravi Kalamandalam. Artful and poised  Sandhya Easwar Sandhya Easwar's Bharatanatyam solo presentation stood out for its simplicity and elegance. She had her formal training at Kalakshetra and is now continuing under the Dhananjayans. As a recipient of the Best Dancer award by the Madras Music Academy in their 'Spirit of Youth' segment, Sandhya's recital lived up to her accolades. While many dancers tend to incorporate intricate jathis and overly complex content into their choreography - an approach that has its own merit - there is a unique charm in keeping it simple and rooted in classical traditions and fundamentals. Sandhya's recital embodied this philosophy, offering the audience a serene and enjoyable experience. Sandhya began with "Pranavakaram siddhi vinayakam..." (a composition by Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer in ragam Arabhi), impressively blending well-coordinated movements with complementary expressions. She then presented the crowning piece "Ye mayaladira...", a swarajati composition in ragam Huseni, a work of Melattur Venkatarama Sastri. Yet again, the presentation underlined Sandhya's flair for dancing. The javali "Smara Sundaranguni" in Paras, composed by Dharmapuri Subbarayar, depicts a proud heroine extolling her beloved. While the theme is straightforward, overplaying the emotions risks making the heroine seem insincere, as if she is fabricating her admiration rather than truly believing it. Sandhya struck a delicate balance in her portrayal, ensuring the emotions felt genuine rather than exaggerated. Her recital concluded with a vibrant thillana in Sindu Bhairavi, composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman. Radiant recital  Rachitha Ravi The next day, the stage was set for a solo Mohiniyattam performance by Rachitha Ravi Kalamandalam. Rachitha, an Assistant Professor of Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University for Arts and Culture and a PhD. holder in the discipline, rooted her recital in classical traditions while exploring new artistic avenues. She began with a cholkettu in ragamalika, featuring verses from Shatkala Govinda Marar's 'Shiva Mangala Sthuthi', showcasing her mastery of signature Mohiniyattam movements and nuanced expressions. In her second piece, "Akshayalinga vibho", a keertanam by Muthuswami Dikshitar set in raga Sankarabharanam, Rachitha skillfully depicted the tales of Daksha and Markandeya, bringing them to life through her expressive storytelling. Rachitha Ravi continued her recital with "Kisalaya sayana tale...", an ashtapadi from Gita Govinda sung in raga Deepali, depicting Krishna's attempts to enchant Radha with his charms. The concluding piece was 'Putanamoksham', with verses from the Kathakali play by Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma. In Kathakali, the padam "Ambadigunam..." traditionally begins in raga Kamboji and transitions to Todi towards the end. Shifting to Mohanam instead felt unusual and gave the impression of a lighter approach, which might not resonate with those attuned to Kathakali. However, the second padam, "Sukumara nandakumara..." in Neelambari, felt more fitting and maintained its essence. Despite this, Rachitha Ravi's presentation was impressive. Whether portraying the wonder of witnessing the beautiful Ambadi or the awe of seeing the radiant figure of child Krishna for the first time, the dancer was truly in her element. Rachitha then made the conclusion gripping by portraying Putana's final moments, leading to her attainment of moksha. The 2024 edition of 'Natya Sangeetholsavam' was held from November 9 to 13 at AKG Hall in Thiruvananthapuram.  Dr. Hareesh N. Nampoothiri is a visual design consultant by profession, an art lover by obsession and an author, writer, photographer, editor, lyricist, and director by passion. He is also the founder and chief editor of Artograph, a bimonthly e-magazine on arts. |
