Medha Hari's performance sparkled with crisply rendered theermanams and well-timed and executed steps.
Medha Hari's Bharatanatyam recital stood out for top-notch performances from the dancer, the nattuvanar (guru Anitha Guha), the mridangam player (Ram Shankar Babu) and the orchestra: Sashidharan (vocal), Ramesh (flute) and Muruganandam (violin). It was a skilful team that performed in tandem. The orchestration was excellent, as the melody makers backed the singer, and the percussionist backed the nattuvanar.
The navaragamalika varnam, ‘Saamiyai Azhaithodivaa Sakhiye Endan' (Adi, K.N. Dhandayuthapani Pillai) sparkled with crisply rendered theermanams and well-timed and executed steps. The theermanams before and immediately following the charanam stood out - the former for its rhythmic configuration and the latter for its symbolism of the Siva Thandavam. The last charana swara visualised again in detail the vibrant Siva Thandavam, this time with the active participation of Parvati, Vishnu, Brahma, Nandi and Narada in a beautiful tableau.
Challenging varnam
The musical demands of the challenging varnam were handled easily by Sashidharan, who had been roped in at short notice. The musical interlude denoting the spring season in Vasantha raga with a tanam was beautiful. Also noteworthy was the singer's navigation in the ragamalika chittuswara sahitya.
Medha is a bright and conscientious dancer, who was impressive from start to finish. Despite the restricted space of the Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall, her nritta was not wanting in any department. As she matures, she can temper her expressions, so they may look more natural.
The devotional kriti on Rama in Manipravalam by Ambujam Krishna (‘Matada Bekayya,' Devagandhari, misra chapu) and the lively Dharmapuri Subbarayar javali, ‘Smarasundaraguni' (Paras) brought out Medha's expressive maturity, the latter was especially arresting because of the strong sthayi bhava of the confident heroine that was established early on. The performance concluded with the melodious Kanada thillana (Adi, Lalgudi Jayaraman).
Keywords: Medha Hari, bharatanatyam
I wish there was a photo attached to this review too. The choice of terms needs clarification here. On the one hand, there is "Medha's expressive maturity", on the other hand, "as she matures, she can temper her expressions". The dancer is not a child, so what is this "maturity"? Was it meant as the opposite of "artificiality"??? Being "natural" is, as experience tells us, most likely the opposite of being "mature". Nobody would deny that a little child is by far more natural and soulful in her expressions. There is a lifeless "maturity" of an elderly woman. There is the immature but exuberant liveliness of the child's expressions. After all, it was the child Madhavi who danced in Silapathikaram while the "mature" dancers had to sit and watch.
As Bharatanatyam steps are becoming more and more crisp and sharp, one should remember that the adavu execution involves much more than stepping. Even stepping itself varies greatly from dancer to dancer.The singer's navigation is important, but much more important is the quality of the voice, e.g. is it clear, husky or outright hoarse? Is it deep or shallow? How faithfully and expressively does it convey the bhavas?Regarding the "expressive maturity", what exactly is it? What kind of heroine is portrayed there? Is she uttama, madhyama or adhama? Or udaseena?
It is surprising to read that "she can temper her expressions, so they may look more natural". We remember Medha Hari's impeccable araimandi in her early videos , and her effortless nritta where this child's myriad expressions were spontaneous, natural and innocent.
Perhaps she is still counted among the top-notch youngsters, and should continue her study of the dance by joining a good abhinaya guru so that the flaws observed by Rupa Srikanth should be got rid of. She should also learn what is Siva Thandavam - as it is depicted in the Chidambaram temple. With some training, she should be able to perform even the most difficult karanas.
As to selecting a male vocalist, especially at a short notice, she should perhaps learn from dancers like Alarmel Valli, and from Natya Shastra where it is explained why only female singers should be employed for dance. There is a huge difference between how ‘Smarasundaraguni' is sung by a woman and by a man.
Please Email the Editor