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![]() Classicism, Abstraction and Mass Entertainment - V. Kaladharan e-mail: kaladharanviswanath@hotmail.com Photos courtesy: Madras Music Academy January 29, 2025 Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort and intelligent execution. - Aristotle The 18th Dance Festival of the Music Academy began with the Bharatanatyam recital of the maestro, Rama Vaidyanathan. She has always had the courage of conviction to incorporate in her repertoire themes that go beyond the terrestrial. Her "Swaroopa" succinctly unfolded the cosmic power embodied by Lord Siva. The signifiers in this context were the damaru and the serpents. It is a formidable challenge to concretize the abstract which is what Rama has been attempting at rather successfully. The piece de resistance of her recital was the Shyama Sastri ata tala Varnam, Sami ni rammana in which the dancer as the Nayika conveyed her unstinted longing for the Nayaka, Lord Varadaraja. The nattuvangam, vocal and instrumental music empowered in no small measure Rama's nritta (non-textual dance), nritya (textual dance) and natya (emotive acting). In fact, the accompanying artistes do have a significant role in helping her reach out to the audience. With the margam always intact, Rama's presentation of the Janabai Abhang eloquently composed by the singer Karthik Hebbar in raga Jog, had a tremendous impact. She displayed the unabashed lust of a courtesan towards her lover, Lord Krishna, unmindful of the reactions from the neighborhood. Instilling an aesthetic tenor to such a "blatant irreverence" against the societal norms is unusual in the sphere of Indian traditional dance. The concluding piece was a Swathi Thirunal composition touching upon the famed Raslila of Lord Krishna. ![]() Rama Vaidyanathan ![]() Bhavya Ramachandran On the second morning, Bhavya Ramachandran of the Vazhuvoor School of Bharatanatyam adhered to the traditional repertoire which some of the present- day dancers have scant regard for. She neatly performed the Pushpanjali and the Jatiswaram, the latter a beautiful composition in Ragamalika and tala mishrachapu by the doyen, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Bhavya chose the enormously popular Pancharatna Kriti, Entharo Mahanubhavulu, as the main item of her recital. In the nritta segments, karanas vied with the adavus lending color to her otherwise run-of-the-mill treatment of the Kriti and its swaras. The Thillana in raga Kannada was a pleasing visual treat. Next on stage was Bhavajan Kumar who is a regular invitee to the Music Academy's Dance Festival. Right from the Sivashtakam of Adi Sankaracharya to the Thillana in raga Revathi, Bhavajan's performance was technically unblemished and he maintained the status quo. The Varnam, Atkola Vendum Ayyane penned by G. Vijayaraghavan and set to music by K. Hariprasad was carefully articulated. ![]() Bhavajan Kumar ![]() Jyotsna Jagannathan The concluding recital of the morning session was that of Jyotsna Jagannathan who spared no effort to create a deep impression in the minds of the spectators. She began her concert with the oft sung and danced, Anadamrita karshini of Deekshitar in raga Amrithvarshini and adi tala. Through all the subsequent items including the Varnam, Vanajaksha of T.R. Subramaniam in raga Behag and adi tala, she could fervently connect with the audience. In the execution of the adavus and in certain postures, one could come across in her a fragile reflection of Malavika Sarukkai. Uday Shankar Lal on the nattuvangam, Murali Parthasarathy on the vocal, Siva Prasad on the mridangam, Eswar Ramakrishnan on the violin and Sujit S. Naik on the flute considerably augmented the impact of Jyotsna's angika and satwika abhinayas. The evening commenced with the solo-recital of the veteran Bharatanatyam dancer, G Narendra. He straightaway moved on to the Varnam, the all too familiar, Parkadal alai mele in Ragamalika set to adi tala. His treatment of Lord Vishnu's Dasavathara was spontaneous and sprightly from the beginning till the very end. Stretching over one hour fifteen minutes, Narendra portrayed each and every incarnation of the Lord Vishnu through solid visual images of the diverse characters involved. He did stick to the Margam unfailingly in the dance segments. Mind-blowing rendition of the jathis by K. Mahalakshmi helped him a lot in sustaining the rigor of his recital. Narendra, off and on, employed lokadharmi (realism) in his abhinaya but hardly did he go overboard. While doing the Pakarnnaattam (one and the same actor/dancer enacting multiple roles in specific contexts) as Lord Srirama, the dancer turned into Sita, Lakshman, the Sanyasin, Ravana, Hanuman et al thereby encapsulating the epic Ramayana. While the treatment of the Varnam was meant for mass entertainment, Narendra soon afterwards, touchingly presented the Padam, Thottu thottu pesa varaan composed by Periasami Thooran. It carried something subtle for the Prekshakas (initiated spectators). G.R. Praveen's soul-stirring music, Vedakrishnaram's delicate fingerings on the mridangam and the melody that emanated from the violin, flute and the veena enlivened the recital substantially. ![]() G Narendra ![]() Shriya Srinivasan Shriya Srinivasan's Bharatanatyam concert on the third day morning, was in one word, an enriching experience not only for the unhurried pace with which she dealt with each and every item but for the rekhashudhi (purity of lines) visible in her movement dynamics. One of the striking features of the Tanjore Quartet Varnams is the lucidity of its sahitya (literary text) and the elegant visual images. Sivanandam's Danike is no exception. Shriya spared no efforts to describe in vivid visual phrases the passionate longing of the courtesan for the King, Sivaji, while bringing to the fore the incomparable charisma of the Nayaka. Of the several postures she sculpted on stage with her angopanga prathyangas, the image of the King deserves special mention. In the Padam, Tuma bina more, a composition of Meerabai, Shriya did a short, yet striking, vinyasa of Draupadi's plea to each and every one present in the Court while Dushasana attempts at disrobing her. The Thillana in raga Niroshta composed by T.N. Sheshagopalan is normally not a preferred piece of the dancers. Shriya did it gracefully. Hailing from a family of distinguished Bharatanatyam dancers, Dakshina Vaidyanathan Baghel's confidence and command over the language were evident in the presentation of all the items. The Tanjore Quartet Varnam, in raga Reetigowla, Swami unnaiye naan mighavum nambinene, is relatively, not an all too familiar item both for the dancers and the beholders. Dakshina's depiction of this Varnam displayed in ample measure her deftness in the nritta and nritya segments. The virahotkhandita Nayika's intense longing for the Nayaka, Lord Vishnu, was neatly portrayed. In the subsequent item, Yemani Chepudunamma, an Annamacharya composition and in the Thillana in raag Megha, the dancer's effervescence was rather compelling. The adavus that suit the body and the limbs of Rama Vaidyanathan would appear a bit unsuitable for those having a different body constitution. If Dakshina can reframe the adavus she is already conversant with and render them in a different aesthetic tone, it might be a right step to reinforce her identity as a dancer. ![]() Dakshina Vaidyanathan ![]() Parshwanath Upadhye "Second nature" is a term used by the theatre Director and Professor, Richard Schechner, in his scholarly article on Kathakali. Every time I watch Parshwanath Upadhye on stage, I strongly feel that dance is his "second nature". So spontaneous and organic are his onstage performances as a Bharatanatyam dancer. The opening item of his recital was Sharada Stuti in raga Kalyani, through which he established a clear rapport with the audience. The Varnam he chose for the day was Adi Shivane, a composition of K.N. Dandayudhapani Pillai, in raga Todi and adi tala. Right from the thrikalajathi, Parshwanath was keen on the kalapramanam that held him tightly to the solid structure of the margam. In between the chiseled adavus the patterns of which are eminently known both to his admirers and detractors, Parshwanath went in, more than twice, for the sensational Karana called Samotsarita Mattali. He tried his best to express the intense yearning of the Nayika for union with her Nayaka, Lord Siva, following the literary text closely. Sarasa Geete in Ragamalika set to tala mishra chapu, succinctly yet hilariously, dealt with the infidelity of a husband whom his wife catches red handed. Parshwanath concluded the recital with a Thillana, his own composition, in front of a packed house. Adithya P.V. on the nattuvangam, vocal music by G. Srikanth, Harsha Samaga on the mridangam and Anjani Srinivasa on the veena supported the dancer generously. In the evening, Navia Natarajan started her recital with "The Rising" in which she appeared as the gorgeous Bhoomi Devi whom the demon Hiranyaksha abducts. Navia then depicted the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Varaha who rescues Bhoomi Devi by killing the demon. The dancer then proceeded to the Varnam, Kamalakshi ninne kori, a composition of Kundrakudi Krishna Iyer, in raga Kamboji set to mishra chapu. Navia effectively presented the longing of the Nayika through her Sakhi for the Nayaka, the King. With no live music, Navia was understandably a bit too self-conscious. Still, she did the nritta segments including those linked to the charana swarams convincingly. The third and the last item was Draupadi - Agniputri in which Navia gave expression to a luminous Draupadi emboldened by her knowledge of the Sastras to interrogate her husbands and those noble beings in the Court for their unjustifiable silence. Verses from Subramanya Bharati's Panchali Sapadham formed the literary text of the piece. ![]() Navia Natarajan ![]() Dr. Neena Prasad The last performance of the day was the Mohiniyattam of Dr. Neena Prasad. She began with a Cholkettu (non-textual dance) and then did a Varnam, an excerpt from the Kathakali play Banayudham of Balakavi Ramashastri. Usha, the daughter of the mighty demon King Bana, while playing in the garden, swoons for a while. She quickly regains her consciousness and confides to her Sakhi, Chitralekha, she had a dream in which a gloriously handsome guy came to her and had dalliance with her. She desires to have her clandestine lover in her chamber. Chitralekha draws the figures of many and finally she finds out that the lover is none other than Anirudha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha brings him to Usha's chamber at the dead of night. Soaked in sringara rasa, it is no mean task to present this item sans a tinge of obscenity. But Neena's cautious treatment of the item supported by the skilled accompanists made it memorable. Andolika vahane composed by Swathi Thirunal that followed was vibrant and inspirational. On the fourth day morning, the incredibly talented Bharatanatyam dancer Pritam Das straightaway entered into the weighty Tanjore Quartet Varnam, Mohalahiri konden sami in raga Thodi, set to adi tala. The verses do offer a plethora of metaphors and images that unravel the intense craving of the Nayika for Rajagopala whose virtues she extolls incessantly. In the vinyasa for the line, ......gana shri rajagopala, Pritam presented Lord Krishna as the cowherd, the banks of the river Yamuna, and the divine melody that emanates from his bansuri. The charanam, Kaman kanaiyai too was forcefully portrayed. Throughout the Varnam, he created a feeling in the minds of the spectators that he was impatiently reveling in a higher tempo. If at all there were tempo transitions, it was difficult to discern the same. Pritam's adavus and footwork carried an affected tone, his irrepressible stamina notwithstanding. Next, he presented a portion from Kamba Ramayana, Ravana's confession before Sitadevi immediately preceding his inevitable battle with Srirama. The scene brimming with pathos and remorse was touching, yet a little too loud. The finale was Tribhangini, a distinctive treat. The accompanying artistes, to repeat a cliché, rose to the occasion. ![]() Pritam Das ![]() Harinie Jeevitha Harinie Jeevitha, disciple of Sheela Unnikrishnan who represents the Melattur Bani of Bharatanatyam, began her recital with a Mallari in raga Gambheera Nattai set to Sankeernajathi Jhampa. Her angopanga prathyangas sculpted the magnificent form of Lord Muruga on stage with the support of her accompanists especially Srikanth Gopalakrishnan on the vocal and Guru Bharadwaj on the mridangam. The Varnam she chose for the day was Nathanai azhaithu va Sakiye of Thiruveezhimizhalai Kalyanasundaram Pillai, in raga Kamboji set to adi tala. Much against my expectation, Harini was admirably anchored to the nuances of the Varnam which unfurls the intense yearning of the Nayika for Lord Muruga. The lyrics does have the familiar motifs except for the "Pranava" Muruga imparts to his omnipotent father, Lord Siva. Harinie's amazing articulation of the rathi bhava and the allied emotions were a delightful visual treat. Ever since "women's emancipation" and feminism, its brainchild started interfering with the classical dictums of Indian dance, the dancers, by and large, have become reluctant to show "shyness" on stage. For them, it is deeply infra dig. Fortunately, Harinie didn't spare it. Her upangas elegantly embodied lajja. The slow-paced landing of her hand for two of the theermana adavus ornamented by the soft gamakas on the mridangam by Bharadwaj was simply marvelous. Harinie then moved on to Varugalamo ayya, a well-known composition of Gopalakrishna Bharati in raga Manchi set to mishra chapu. She made memorable Nandanar's indefinable devotion to Lord Siva. The last piece, the Thillana of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi too carried a discrete flavor. However, I couldn't find even a faint texture of distinctiveness in Harinie's nritta this time. Watching the Kathak performance of Vishal Krishna after a series of Bharatanatyam recitals was a refreshing experience. As the inheritor of a glorious legacy, Vishal's performance was embedded in the traditional discipline and rigor of the Banaras Gharana. All the items he presented right from Shiv Stuti to Holi didn't have a dull moment. The craft and the content were handsomely harmonized. Underlying his technical virtuosity viz. the pirouette, the jumps and the foot-works, one could see his fierce commitment and devotion. Outstanding Kathak dancers are becoming few and far between. Hence Vishal deserves encomiums, more than diatribes. ![]() Vishal Krishna ![]() Meenakshi Srinivasan The highlight of the day was the Bharatanatyam recital of Meenakshi Srinivasan. Kalyani khalu yat kathatrijagatam of Swathi Thirunal in Ragamalika set to talamalika in praise of Lord Krishna was her invocatory piece preceding which the shloka from Bhagavatham briefed the birth of child Krishna. The celebratory mood engulfing that auspicious moment was elegantly depicted. For the Varnam too, Meenakshi zeroed in on to Lord Krishna through the Balamuralikrishna composition, Omkarapranava nadothbhava sruthi laya swara in raga Shanmukhapriya. She made an earnest endeavor to translate into tangible visual phrases the intangible images from Omkaram to the perception of Krishna as the embodiment of absolute consciousness. In the execution of the adavus, one could see her fluency in body movements and in the hand gestures competing with an innate grace. Jayashri Ramanathan's impeccable rendering of the jathis coupled with the bhava laden singing of K. Hariprasad, melodious fingerings on the mridangam and on the violin by Vedakrishnaram and Eswar Ramakrishnan respectively added splendor to the Varnam. Meenakshi then moved on to a Kshetrayya Padam placing Krishna again at its nucleus. The Thillana in raga Sindhubhairavi set to adi tala, was a fitting finale in which Meenakshi did a little attami towards the very beginning. Despite the drop-dead gorgeous presence of Meenakshi all throughout, her selection of items for the recital was a wee bit tedious for more than one reason. In this context I should also mention that the imprint of her Guru, Alarmel Valli, was almost totally absent in the adavus she executed this time. On the fifth day morning, P.V. Adithya started his Bharatanatyam concert with the Kriti, Sidhi Vinayakam, of Harikesanalloor Muthiah Bhagawathar, worshipping Lord Ganesha. He then proceeded to the Tanjore Quartet Varnam, Sami ni rammanave in raga Kamas set to adi tala. Even with Parshwanath Upadhye on the nattuvangam, Srikanth Gopalakrishnan on the vocal and other equally talented musicians wielding mridangam, flute and veena, Adithya could not create an electrifying effect in the minds of the audience. His subsequent presentations, namely Gopalakrishna Bharati's Keertanam, Satru Vilagi, and the Lalgudi Thillana in raga Pahadi, were much more appealing. ![]() PV Adithya ![]() Medha Hari Medha Hari, a recent disciple of Priyadarsini Govind, commenced her recital with a Sarada sthuti and then took up the weighty Varnam, Mohamaginen, in raga Kharaharapriya set to adi tala, a composition of K.N. Dandayudhapani Pillai. While her well-chiseled adavus right from the thrikalajathi and the emotional interpretation of the Nayika's unflinching longing for Lord Nataraja were quite impressive, the magic of Medha's angikabhinaya that mesmerized me and the like-minded last year at the Music Academy itself was imperceptible this time. The subsequent items - Ardhanareeswaram and the Lalgudi Thillana in raga Mand - were impressive too. But then again, the luster of her alluring movement dynamics was somehow missing. Trained under three veterans holding aloft three different idioms, is Medha experiencing some sort of a conflict within? Is her transformation in angika the resultant of variations in the rechakas? Years back when Swapna Sundari came to Kerala Kalamandalam, she presented a piece of Vilasini Natyam at its Natyagriha (temple-theater). Then there was a long interlude. I watched the Vilasini Natyam of the highly talented Purvadhanashree at the Music Academy couple of years back which is etched in my memory. This time she presented three items. The first one was a verse from Thevaram in Ragamalika composed by Thirunavukkarasar. Then she did the Varnam, Sami Vinara in raga Bhairavi set to adi tala. The last item was excerpts from Navajanardana Parijatham. I still don't have a solid understanding about Vilasini Natyam and its visual dimensions. But then I could sense the sincerity, commitment and devotion with which Purvadhanashree dealt with all the three items. Other than her Guru Swapna Sundari, she seems to be the sole serious inheritor of this precious legacy belonging to Andhra Pradesh. ![]() Purvadhanashree ![]() P. Praveen Kumar P. Praveen Kumar's Bharatanatyam recital in the evening was delicious in many respects. In the very first item, Natanam Adinar of Gopalakrishna Bharati in raga Vasantha set to ata tala, Praveen exemplified the stunning image of Lord Siva whose presence makes the eight directions shudder, Adishesha's hoods tremble and drops of the river Ganga spill over the tuft. The Varnam, Sami ninne kori of the Tanjore Quartet in Ashtaragamalika and rupaka tala blossomed beautifully as Praveen prudently employed the sophisticated techniques of the angika and satwika abhinayas. In the nritta, nritya and natya portions, he was seldom loud. He gave room for several moments of meaningful silence intermittently in the Varnam. My friend, Bala Iyer, an ardent devotee of Karanas, told me later that Praveen incorporated the two Karanas, Samotsarita Mattali and Vidyut Bhrantam in his recital. Navyashree's effervescent rendition of the jathis and Vidyashankar's dexterous fingerings on the mridangam were a blessing to Praveen. Preceding the Thillana, a composition of the late C.V. Chandrasekhar in raga Keeravani, Praveen presented Kanakadasa's famed Baro Krishnayya movingly. D.S. Srivatsa's emotive singing with its unfailing accent on the sahitya lent color to the actions and expressions of the dancer. Mahesh Swamy's flute and Mandya Nagaraj's violin did contribute substantially to the overall tone of the recital. Athul Balu's Bharatanatyam recital on the following day was neat and tidy from the beginning till the very end. He started with a Keerthanam, Sankaranatanam, in praise of Lord Siva and then stepped into the eminently popular Varnam, Suma Sayaka of Swathi Thirunal in raga Karnataka Kapi and tala rupakam. Athul poignantly portrayed the pangs of separation of the Nayika and her deep longing for reunion with her Lord, Sarasiruhanabha. In the dialogue between the heroine and her Sakhi, the former recollects her dalliance with Lord Padmanabha. She is looking forward to his much-awaited arrival and the line samayam bahubadhaya sakhi underscores her frustration. Athul enacted the myriad moods of the Nayika persuasively. In the execution of the adavus, the flexibility and the articulacy of his angika deserve special mention. The chittaswarams of this Padavarnam carry a unique lasya flavor. Athul's articulations could sense it. Next was an Ashtapadi, Mamiyam chalitha, in which Athul depicted the tormented soul of Krishna consequent upon Radha's desertion. He concluded his recital with a Thillana composed by Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi. ![]() Athul Balu ![]() Meera Sreenarayanan Meera Sreenarayanan who has already made a mark in the field of Bharatanatyam commenced her concert by presenting a portion from Ramayana Sabdam. She touched upon some of the most memorable moments in the epic which the audience could easily identify with. She then proceeded to the not so commonly performed Varnam viz. Sarsijakshudu nivani of the Tanjore Quartet, in raga Kalyani set to rupaka tala. Meera made an earnest effort to picturize the Nayika's unfathomable yearning for the Nayaka, Lord Rajagopala. She brought to the fore the familiar vinyasas associated with the childhood days of Krishna. In abhinaya sangeetha, crooning helps at times to enhance the textual and contextual emotions. Bijeesh Krishna, the gifted vocalist, did not use this technique sparingly. As a consequence, the flow of the dance was intercepted more than once. From the Varnam, Meera moved on to a Samvada pattu, a folk composition in Malayalam that unfolds a conversation between Lakshmi and Parvathi that made lots of room for lokadharmi natya. She finished her recital with a Thillana in raga Simhendramadhyamam set to adi tala. Here Meera was in her elements. K.P. Rakesh who epitomizes the Kalakshetra Bani of Bharatanatyam opened his recital with Vinayaka sthuthi in raga Nattai followed by a Thirupugazh of saint Arunagirinadhar which Rakesh himself choreographed. He then proceeded to the central piece of his recital, Sapta tala ragamalika composed by Ponnayya Pillai, jathis set by Pakkiriya Pillai. Only those dancers having a sound-footing in the talas and command over the tempos can tackle it on stage. Composed in ragas viz. Thodi, Poorvakalyani, Bhairavi, Kalyani, Kamboji, Mukhari and Varali, each charana carries ragamudra and it is set to seven talas; Dhruvam, Madhyam, Rupakam, Jhampai, Thriputai, Ata and Ekam. The item concerned was captivating to say the least. With his mastery over the varying rhythms and the tempos, Rakesh tackled it successfully. In between his technical brilliance, one could see the dancer as the devotee fervently addressing Lord Siva to relieve him/her of worldly afflictions and bestow grace. The next piece was Kisalaya shayanathale kuru kamini from Gita Govindam choreographed by Bragha Bessel. As G. Srikanth explored the emotional terrains of the raga Dwijavanthi, Rakesh explicated in visual phrases Krishna's irrepressible longing for union with his beloved Radha. Sivaprasad on the mridangam, Sujith on the flute and Anantha Narayanan on the veena embroidered the context in no small measure. The Thillana, a composition of Maharajapuram Santhanam, was in raga Revathi. ![]() KP Rakesh ![]() Shijith Nambiar and Parvathy The duo, Shijith Nambiar and Parvathy, commenced their recital in the evening with Shakti, an offering to Devi in her multiple forms such as Mahishasuramardini. They then proceeded to the Varnam, Senthilnagar mevum deva, a composition of Lalgudi Jayaraman in raga Neelambari, set to adi tala. Except the images of Lord Muruga and his vehicle, the peacock, I couldn't comprehend the rest of the "formations" both the dancers wove on stage complementing each other. At the same time the precision, clarity and speed with which they executed each adavu were engrossing. Swathi's Utsava prabandham is sheer visual feast, be it in Mohiniyattam or Bharatanatyam. Shijith and Parvathy elegantly presented an excerpt from it extolling Lord Padmanabha as Ananthashaayi. The old man, the pregnant woman and the child eagerly waiting for a glance at the Lord Almighty were movingly portrayed. The Ashtapadi, Kuru Yadu Nandana followed. The lyrics are replete with sensual metaphors that unravel Radha's intense longing for union with her beloved Krishna. The duo depicted the tightly choreographed piece poignantly. Divya Goswami went in for a thematic Kathak recital by depicting the love story of Sohni and Mahiwal. The obstacles Sohni confronted in the realization of her love for the low-caste lover in the midst of the river were vividly portrayed by the dancer. At the same time, her mastery over the medium was exquisitely made known to the audience as the technical finesse of Kathak got unfurled consistently. Sidhartha Bellamanu's vocal music and the astute percussion ensemble helped Divya express the many voices of the heroine. ![]() Divya Goswami ![]() Divya Hoskere On the last day morning, Divya Hoskere, a disciple of P. Praveen Kumar, started her concert with a brief Alarippu and then moved on to concretizing the Panchabhootas. The Varnam she selected for presentation was Rupamu Juchi of Ramaswamy Deekshitar in raga Thodi, set to adi tala. Divya identified with the sentiments of the Nayika imploring Lord Thyagesha to take note of her intense passion for him as she is tormented by the arrows of Lord Kamadeva. Praveen's powerful rendering of the jathis augmented the geometric grace of her movements. The brilliant accompanists animated her actions and expressions further. As vinyasa, Divya tersely unraveled the story of Markandeya rescued by Lord Siva from Lord Yama. A short Kshetrayya Padam followed after which she did Mein Hari, a composition of Meerabai. She mirrored Meera's unalloyed love and devotion to Lord Krishna. The finale was an alluring Thillana in raga Valachi, composed by Dwaraki Krishnaswamy. For reasons yet to be ascertained, charismatic Kuchipudi dancers have become an endangered species. The dance form badly needs young, energetic dancers. Avijit Das proved himself to be an outstanding Kuchipudi dancer as he effectively employed his multiple faculties on stage. Currently a disciple of Jaikishore Mosalikanti and Padmavani, Avijit enthralled the spectators at the very beginning itself by presenting the Dasavathara Shabdam of Sidda Batula Rangadasa, choreographed by Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. He passed through all the incarnations of Lord Vishnu in quick succession leaving a profound impression in the minds of the beholders. In the bewitching Tharangam that followed, Avijit drove home Bhoodevi's plea to Lord Vishnu to rescue her from the demon Hiranyaksha. Devi's reference to "Gajendra moksham" and the episode behind the name, Madhusudana, were very well articulated. Avijit was perhaps the only dancer in this festival to include a Javali in his recital. In the Ashtapadi, Sanchara dadhara, Avijit interpreted the tender emotions of Radha who witnesses Krishna embracing the Gopis. The line, Vipula pulaka bhuja pallava valayita vallava yuvatee sahasram was not only a glowing visual treat but a musical treat as well. The Thillana of Mudikondan Venkitarama Iyer too was intriguing. ![]() Avijit Das ![]() Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya Lakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya's Bharatanatyam recital began with Shakti Anjali in raga Mahati and moved on to the Varnam, Bharati Kannan of Bharatiyar in Ragamalika set to talamalika. The fluency in her movements coupled with vivid facial expressions enlivened the Nayika she represented. Lakshmi deftly depicted her eternal love for Lord Krishna and his childhood pranks. Next, she presented a Padam in which Rama apprises Sita that he would soon be away from her for many years. The last item of Lakshmi's recital was Ganga, a composition of Rajkumar Bharati in raga Amritavarshini set to tala adi. Its theatrical tone appeared to be a little too unusual. The accompanists, especially Dr. Murali Parthasarathy's vocal music was a blessing to her recital from the beginning till the very end. ![]() Priyadarsini Govind The highlight of the last day evening was the recital of Priyadarsini Govind. Priyadarsini is elegance personified on stage and off stage. Over the years she, I have felt, has truncated the nritta segments of her performance. She has shifted her focus towards satwikabhinaya which she does without going too far. Priyadarsini commenced her concert with an Alarippu set to Pancha Jathi Triputa. From this entrancing pure dance piece, she moved on to the famed Varnam, Innum en manam, a composition of Lalgudi G. Jayaraman in raga Charukeshi set to adi tala. Her movement dynamics including the postures and the poses did have an irresistible splendor. Priyadarsini's immaculate treatment of the Nayika's pangs of separation and her fervent plea to Krishna for union were delectable on all counts . The next piece was an excerpt transplanted from Asokavanikankam Kutiyattam with the demon King Ravana as the protagonist. In Kutiyattam, the traditional Sanskrit Theatre, the actor is the custodian of time whereas in Bharatanatyam, the dancer is its prisoner. Yet, Priyadarsini, in Dashamukhi, credibly presented the ten different expressions on the ten faces of Ravana such as lust, sigh, silence, sadness, fear, horripilation et al consequent upon his brooding over Sita Devi. One Kshetrayya Padam and Srikrishna karnamrutham followed which bore the stamp of her stylishness. Jayashree Ramanath on the nattuvangam, Murali Sangeeth on the vocal, Sakthivel Muruganandam on the mridangam and K.P. Nandini on the violin supported the dancer liberally. GROUP CHOREOGRAPHIES ![]() Apsaras Dance Company For watching the Group Choreographies at the Music Academy held in the late evening sessions, I wore different eye-glasses since these are mass entertainment programs. I am not going into the niceties of each show for the time being. While there is an indefinable intimacy between painting and dance, to establish it on stage is a tough task. Apsaras Dance Company, Singapore, led by Aravinth Kumaraswamy, revealed its determination and aesthetic propensity by presenting some of the illustrious paintings of Raja Ravi Varma vis a vis well trained Bharatanatyam dancers. Thus Radha, Krishna, Yashoda, Sita, Damayanthi and Sakuntala strongly established their presence on stage. The mixing up of the charanam of Papanasam Sivan's famed, Enna Thavam Seithanai with Purandaradasa's Jagadodharana was pleasing to the ears and to the eyes. ![]() Natya Sankalpa ensemble The well-known Bharatanatyam dancer Urmila Sathyanarayanan's institution, Natya Sankalpa, presented 'Thadathagai: The Eternal Queen of Madurai,' with a jumbo troupe of dancers in myriad hues using the entire space of the stage most efficiently. The background musicians were also aplenty. The music composer of the production was none other than Embar Kannan, the veteran violinist. The story of Madurai Meenakshi and Sundareswarar was dramatically unfolded with Urmila appearing intermittently as the Sutradhari (story teller). The production, on the whole, was a grand spectacle. ![]() Vaibhav Arekar and group The Sankhya Dance Company spear-headed by Vaibhav Arekar displayed the aesthetic prowess of Margam in the performance titled Nibandhana. All the items viz. Ananda natanam, Jatiswaram, Varnam, Ashtapadi and Thillana spoke up the time-tested rigor and magnificence of the traditional Bharatanatyam. The space management, the lighting and the costumes boosted the performance even as the group formation of the dancers expanded and contracted as demanded by the contexts. ![]() Jaikishore Mosalikanti and group Jaikishore Mosalikanti's Shivamohanam School of Kuchipudi performed various items under the title, Triyambam. The performance began with a Saraswathy Sthuthi and ended with a sprightly Thillana in raga Brindavani. All the dancers led by Jaikishore and accompanied by talented artists stuck to the quintessence of the traditional Kuchipudi; nritta, nrithya and natya embodied by Saraswathy, Lakshmi and Durga. The production had elements of theatre too. But it didn't outwit the organic framework of Kuchipudi. I regretfully note here that I had to miss the Odissi performance of Nrityagram on the final day of the festival. CONCLUSION Towards the close of this protracted review, one question that repeatedly revisited me is whether there was any unanticipated spark in the chain of recitals I attended at the Music Academy from the morning till night. I don't think so. I am just now wondering whether the phenomena, "Panchabhoota", "Kundalini" and "Sahasrarapadma" can be debarred through some legislation by the Union Government from the vocabulary of Indian classical dance to save it from chronic indigestion. Of course, this is easier said than done. Of the two empresses who have been ruling over the kingdom of Bharatanatyam during the last three decades, Alarmel Valli has not been dancing at the Academy for the last couple of years. This time Malavika Sarukkai too was absent as she became indisposed. I was deeply disappointed. I hope my readers would forgive me for my obsession with these two dancers. I am not ashamed of it as I do have the backing of the great writer Susan Sontag who once said, "Never worry about being obsessive. I like obsessive people". ![]() Former Deputy Registrar of Kerala Kalamandalam, V Kaladharan is also an art critic. He has published several articles at the academic level. 'From Meditative Learning to Impersonal Pedagogy' was published in an anthology 'Qui Parley' initiated and released by scholars and writers from the University of California, Berkeley. His articles on Indian performing arts and literature regularly appear in magazines and journals, and in the Friday Page of The Hindu. |