Spread over seven days, ‘Nrithyathi’, a dance festival in Kochi, featured major Indian dance forms. On the first day, Sheela Unnikrishnan’s troupe presented a thematic presentation ‘Saranam’, a surrender to the supreme, set in Bharatanatyam. They began with ‘Chapu malika Alaripu’, a combination of Trisra, Kanda, Misra and Sankeerna variations in Chapu tala.
Meera Sreenarayanan
Meera Sreenarayanan has bloomed to become a seasoned dancer. Her recital on the second day had Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Charukeshi varnam Innum en manam... as the central piece. She made a dramatic entry as a forlorn maiden holding a messenger bird, rather unconventional for the opening of a varnam. The trikala jathi was expertly choreographed with long stasis, leaps and swirls and quite intricate to be caught in rhythm but Meera pulled it off with elan. Krishna’s many acts, his dalliance with other women and her dejection were tellingly portrayed.
Her emotive skills were manifest in Nanoru vilyattu Bommaiya..., in which she portrayed different stages of human existence.
In sync
Bharatnatyam by Aswathy and Srikanth
Aswathy and Srikanth’s Bharatanatyam duet exemplified their professionalism and virtuosity. Balamuralikrishna’s varnam Amma Anandadayini... extols the goddess as manifestation of Omkara. The choreography was balanced and aesthetic. The first sanchari in the pallavi saw Srikanth portraying an imbecile, who, blessed by the Goddess, in a fit of inspiration writes profusely to become the greatest poet of all, Kalidasa. Aswathy’s sanchari was the well-known tale of Abhirama Bhattar. He was banished by the king for a wrong astrological prediction, but is saved by the goddess, who throws her jewel, thus brightening up the sky, making it look like moonlight. The ettugada swaras, packed with adavus and synchronised teermanam, was perfection itself. Aswathy’s lyrical movements complemented the vigour and style of Srikanth’s. A rhythmic item in Poorvi raga in the end was characterised by signature movements of Padma Subramaniam’s style, which Srikanth and Aswathy have inherited as the doyen’s worthy disciples.
Both Kathak performances on the third day emphasised rhythmic aspects of the dance, with few ‘bhav’ numbers. Sandeep Mallik’s ‘Udhaan’ with the beats of the tabla was kept simple in short cycles in the beginning with a tihai in five. The laykaari became more intricate in madhyalay teen tal, proceeding in fours, fives and sevens. This was meticulously performed. However his abhinaya piece, a bhajan, in praise of Shiva and Krishna, paled in comparison.
Monisa Nayak
Monisa Nayak’s Upaj in teental featured quite a bit of improvisation with due backing from the tabla player. ‘Shiv Paran’ a rhythmic expression of Shiva’s dance ended, in a splendid tihai yet Paltas, which started on an off beat, had rhythmic discrepancies. Monisa, who follows the Jaipur gharana, further presented Panchmukhi, a composition in fives in ascending speed and this was accomplished well.
Enchanting presentation
Ghanakanta Bora’s troupe
Ghanakanta Bora’s troupe performed Sattriya dance on the fourth day. ‘Sali ramdani’, a pure dance item from the lasya repertoire of the dance, charmed with its multiple swirls, circular hand movements and graceful movements. ‘Sita Swyamvar’, presented as a dance drama, was a composition of Samanta Sankardev. With simple mudras and footwork accompanied by the sonorous beats and bols of dhol, the Sutradhari entered and mimed the opening of the episode. The pompous entry of the kings, their futile attempts at lifting the bow and their fight with Rama were dynamically depicted by the dancers.
Sinam Basu Singh and his troupe perform Manipuri dance
On the same day, the talented Sinam Basu Singh and his troupe performed Manipuri dance. In the ‘Dasavathara ashtapadi’, Basu Singh, with graceful and ebullient movements and broad, sweeping charis, portrayed episodes of Bhrigurama and Balarama. In ‘Vasanth Raasleela’, Krishna dashed colours on gopis, and danced in joyous abandon to a fast rhythm.
In Mohiniyattam, Jayaprabha Menon presented ‘Nagatatwam’, the serpentine force that is representative of the Kundalini energy, which is one with the aspect of Shiva. Her main presentation was ‘Urmila’, in which the heroine questions her own existence, if she is wedded to a mere shadow of Rama.
Deepti Omcherry Bhalla
Music for the presentations and later that of Deepti Omcheri Bhalla’s dance relied much on the Sopana tradition. Deepti’s ‘Dundubhi natyam’ showcased various aspects of Shiva’s drum, and a complete surrender to the sound, which is Shiva himself (Sakalam Dundubhi). She was fully involved in her enactment of ‘Chinthavishtayaya Seetha’ in which she recounted the episodes of her union with Rama, her test of fire and, finally, she gives vent to her anger.
Balanced performances
In an evening of Odissi dance, even though Abhayalakshmi’s Keeravani Pallavi showed dissonance in rhythm and hand movements, she made a sincere attempt to do justice to the Salbeg bhajan Ahe Nilashaila in which she elaborated the episodes of Gajendra, Draupadi and Prahlad. Aruna Mohanti’s stance, footwork and mudras were precise and her terrific abhinaya was noteworthy. She mesmerised the audience with ‘Pratinayaka’, which glorified the anti hero. ‘Sansar’ detailed the cycle of life and death in which Aruna gave a graphic picture of old age with its many frailties and failings.
Kishore Mosilakanti and Padmavani
The last day of the festival was dedicated to Kuchipudi. Kishore Mosilakanti and Padmavani presented a ‘Tarangam’ dedicated to Shiva. The charis and adugus characteristic of the Vempatti school came alive as the duo danced in tandem in a compact choreography in which the thematic and rhythmic aspects blended in right balance. Padmavani made a sincere attempt at getting the jathis right in her ‘Rukmini Praveshadaru’. In the next segment, a character introduction in the same vein was taken up by Vyjayanthi Kashi in ‘Satyabhama Praveshdaru’ with firm footwork and exquisite charis. Her effervescent emotive skills came to the fore in her representation of Narasimha that showed effectively the arrogance and machismo of Hiranyakasipu and the fierceness of the beast. Her item on Kanyakumari titled ‘Eternal Kanya’ captured the agony and anger of the goddess as Shiva failed to arrive for their marriage.
The fete was jointly organised by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, District Tourism Promotion Council, Ernakulam, and Kerala Fine Arts Society.
