Myriad shades of devotion

Alarmel Valli's creativity came to fore in her portrayal of bhakti.

February 16, 2012 05:16 pm | Updated 05:16 pm IST

Poetic touches aplenty characterised the kaleidoscope of movements and swaras in the vivid and aesthetic Bharatanatyam performance of Alarmel Valli, on the opening day of Yaksha, the music and dance festival of Isha Foundation, held against the backdrop of the Linga Bhairavi shrine at Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore. The Hindu is the media partner of the event, which is on till February 19.

Valli's performance was a reflection of the Isha Foundation's dynamic outlook towards everything, be it philosophy, life or arts. Her invocation to Shakti and the prayer to Devi, displaying the transition from the sensual to the sublime (eulogised in Devimahathmyam) to lead a harmonious life, with verses drawn from Sakunthala, Ritusamhara, the forces of Nature depicted by Bharatiar and Ilango Adigal, culminating with a prayer to Goddess Durga, provided a springboard for bhakti as the prime mood over her disciplined nritta.

Well-balanced

Her bright and simple costume was apt to the theme. The verse from Purananooru presented as nrithyalahari in Rasikapriya, set to complex patterns and nadais with well-balanced pirouettes of the artist, won wide acclaim from the dance buffs.

In the last number, Alarmel Valli excelled in her depiction of an ironic look at a waiting woman in Arundhati Subramaniam's poem, Vigil, with a visual and melodic dimension. Sanchari bhavas were the highlight of the recital.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.