As part of the two-day festival of classical dances organised by Vignana Samithi in the Anand Nagar Community Hall recently, Swathi Somnath presented a few solos of Jayadeva's ashtapadis. The dancer shone in Pranaya Varudhini (Manucharitra), Rasa Gopalam (Gita Govindam), Sarvagnya Sankara (Jagadguru Adisankaracharya), Nauka Charitram, Saranam Govindam (Annamacharya), Sri Narayana Guru Darshanam (Narayana Guru of Varkala, Kerala), Shakti (Kollegal Subramanyam), Kamasutra (Vatsyana), and Draupadi .
Her performance began with the traditional invocation to the presiding deity of Kuchipudi with Amba paraku under the able nattuvangam of Pasumarthi Seshubabu with the vocal support of Gitanjali, flute by Murali and Sridharacharya on mridangam. Narayana Theerdha's tarangam Jaya Jaya Vaishnavi Durge in Raagamalika (Adi taal) followed the invocation with the pick up of Swathi and her disciple Sindhuja. The solo gave a foretaste of the following numbers as for the footwork and abhinaya with bhava and rasa. The next, Radhika Krishna , a saatvikabhinaya number of Jayadeva in Raagamalika did appeal well. The Sabdam in Mohana of the narrative of ‘Sri Rama Pattabhishekam' by Sindhuja kept up the tempo and richly revealed the flavours of her training under her guru.
In the Tandavam in Adisankaracharya's Mahishasuramardhini ‘veera vihar' in Igiri Nandini , it was felt that Swathi ought to have thought of ‘aaharya' also. The next solo number of Jayadeva's Saa virahe tava in Saraswathi raag (aadi taal)was an excellent portrayal of pangs of separation. Aadisankara's Sivashtakam Prabho Praana Naadham... in Khandachapu by Sindhuja again struck a note of her confident nritta.
Perfect ‘abhinaya'
On the second day of the festival Snehalatha danced with perfect synchronisation in the ‘Abhinaya' variations from the start to the end. Giving a traditional touch, the recital began with invocation to Lord Vinayaka Vaani Paraku . It was followed by Pushpanjali by tiny tots Sumedha, Abhighna, Sreya, Ritika, Harshini. The muse of arts, Saraswathi was paid obeisance in Saraswathi Vandanam in raag Yaman (Misrachapu taal) composed by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. Next Annamacharya's keertan in raag Sankarabharanam (Aadi) Alavulu kuriyaga went well both with the dancer Snehalatha and her team of accompanists — vocalist K. Chander Rao, nattuvangam by Devulapalli Prasanth, mridangam by S. Ramana, violin by B. Pavan Singh, flute by Annadanam Rama Mohan and K. Chander Rao who lent vocal support.
