Abhinetri’, a cultural organisation run by Pramod Reddy held a three-day Bharatanatyam event at Ravindra Bharati recently.
Titled ‘Bharatanatya Pravaham’ (meaning‘flow of Bharatanatyam’), the event had 18 dancers taking part on all days.
Each evening there were three teams from different parts of the country performing to a varnam of their choice along with a ‘light number’, to live music. It was interesting to note that though the varnam was a common factor, the presentation style varied.
Ratheesh
The festival was opened with G. Rateeshbabu from Bhilai presenting a varnam devoted to Ayyappa, in raga Madhyamavati. The second piece was a dance interpretation of the content of Jayadeva’s Ashtapadi in raga Chakravakam. Swetha Prasad rendered these numbers and Renuka Prasad conducted nattuvangam.
R. Udayalakshmi of Pondicherry presented Mallari in Gambheeranata, a nrutta number. Then she presented Daru varanam on Goddess Meenakshi in Ragamalika. Balaji Ramji lent vocal support to Guru Krishnan’s nattuvangam.
Rajendra and Kelly
The third group was Hong Kong-based Rajendra Nyathi and Kelly Whitmore. The varnam they presented was in Reethigowla. It was uncommon number based on ‘Satanaamavali stotra’(verse of hundred names) on Krishna. Choreography was by Narmada.
On the second day, Shruti Anand of Chennai presented ‘Nataraja Kauthvam’ in Varali eulogising Lord Nataraja. This was choreographed by Chitra Visweshwaran. Description of Siva’s thandava nritya was part of the song tuned in Athana. Later she presented varnam in Athana that describes the interaction between mischievous Krishna and mother Yasoda.
The final number was Annamacharya’s popular kirtana Brahmamokkate in Bowli. Later Rushika and Iswarya came on to the stage and presented Alarippu to Tamil compositions Pithan Endralum and Arabi Manam in ragamalika. Later Ananda Shankar Jayanth’s disciples Poojitha and Anusha came on to the stage and presented Daru varnam in Khamas and followed it up with tillana in Paras. She proved to be a highly talented dancer.
Sarani
On the third day Sarani Oddiraju, disciple of Hemamalini Arni, presented Thyagaraja’s Pancharatna Kriti Sadhinchene O Manasa in Arabhi. It gained the colour of varnam with intermittent jatis in high order presentation. Sarani was impressive both in footwork and abhinaya. The kirtana extols the virtues of Mahavishnu and of his Rama and Krishna avataras. Later she presented a Tamil Padam Kaalai Thooki Nindru Aadum in Yadukulakambhoji, composed by Marimuttu Pillai.Nattuvangam was by Renuka Prasad and Sangeetha Kala was the vocalist.
Sneha Nambeesan, disciple of Geeta Ganeshan presented a varnam in Sankarabharanam, choreographed by Geetha. The varnam Sakhiye Inda Jaalam of Dandayudhapani Pillai depicts the intense yearning of a naayika for the Lord of the Seven Hills. This also afforded space to present ‘Gajendra Moksham’ and ‘Draupadi Vastrapaharanam’ sequences.
Aishwarya and Rukshika
On the final day Rushika Elankumaran and Aishwarya Iyer gave an impressive performance. The disciples of Hemamalini Arni presented Alarippu in Khanda nada and then took up Pithan Endralum in raga Abheri in praise of Lord Shiva and ‘Arabimanam’ composed by Padi Panchanada Iyer in ragamalika, in praise of Ambal who takes multiple forms.
