Powerful abhinaya and artistic excellence dominated every performance at Abhinaya Sudha, a three-day dance festival in Thiruvananthapuram. The fete focussed on abhinaya aspects of Indian classical dance forms. Experienced dancers who participated in the festival rose to the occasion by presenting items that highlighted various facets of expressional dance.
The festival opened with a Vilasini Natyam by Anupama Kailash, a disciple of the renowned danseuse Swapnasunadri.
A padam showcasing the distinctive features of Vilasini natyam was performed well. Set in raga Kamboji, the composition dealt with a nayika's (heroine) conversation with her beau. Upset about the nayaka's (hero) new relationship with a woman, she expresses her anguish and displeasure and warns him to get out of it as she suspects it to be a trap to beguile her hero.
Another notable item was an Annamacharya kriti with subtle and brief references to the Dashavatara. Choreographed by Anupama herself, it was interesting to watch as it was performed with simple movements and expressions.
The latter half of the evening saw a graceful Mohiniyattam recital by Gopika Varma. ‘Paripalayamaam' in Reetigowla was the piece de resistance of the evening. Her abhinaya skills shone forth during the portrayal of Gajendramoksham in the Pallavi. The movements of an elephant were brilliantly woven into the choreography.
Innovative approach
Gopika's innovative approach reached its zenith during her depiction of the incarnation of Mohini, towards the end of the piece.
Gopika excelled again in the presentation of ‘Chenthar sayakaroopa,' a famous composition by Irayimman Thampi. In this piece, the sakhi informs the king about his wife's longing for him and the dancer's concentration on the abhinaya of the composition won the appreciation of the audience.
The second day of the festival started with a Kathak recital by Sushmita Ghosh. A bhajan was followed by a Thumri on Lord Krishna. The portrayal of Krishna's birth and a series of related events vouched for Sushmita's control over abhinaya. The following piece portrayed lovelorn Radha's search for Krishna. This again gave the artiste an opportunity to showcase myriad emotions of Radha's ordeal. She concluded with a 16-beat Tharana.
An expert Bharatanatyam danseuse, teacher and choreographer, Bragha Bessel displayed her maturity in abhinaya all through her scintillating recital. Set in ragamalika, a sloka from Soundaryalahiri gave glimpses of various bhavas; ‘Yarukahilum bhayama' essayed the nayika's justification of her relationship with the nayaka when others start gossiping about her. Bragha's unusual flair to interpret and captivatingly depict a simple theme made this piece stand out.
Another composition that drew the attention of the rasikas was a javali ‘Ithu Sahasamulu' by Swati Tirunal, in Saindavi, Adi tala. It depicted an innocent girl and her conversation with the Lord; she tells Krishna that she is too young and that he should not take undue advantage of her naivety. The lyrics of the javali found full expression in the dance as Bragha explored it through various techniques of abhinaya in Bharatanatyam.
Sparkling performances by Radhika Jha and Swapnasundari stole the hearts of the audience on the concluding day of the festival. Radhika follows the Gotipua tradition in Odissi, which combines nritya and abhinaya unlike the Mahari tradition. The Mangalacharan in raga Bhageswari was followed by an Ashtapadi, which describes the coming of spring, with Radha as the main character. This item in raga Aadibasanth was a mix of nritya and abhinaya, wherein Radha searches for Krishna amidst the beautiful ambience of spring.
Arresting images
She continued with another piece from Ashtapadi that was based on pure abhinaya. This 14-beat composition set to rag Kafi portrayed arresting images of the romance between Radha and Krishna, thanks to the good homework on abhinaya by Radhika.
Next on to the stage was none other than Swapnasundari who left the audience spellbound with her unparalleled mastery over abhinaya. She started off her Vilasini Natyam recital with a grand customary invocation to Lord Krishna. Her manodharma or improvisational skills in the following items proved how creativity can give compositions new interpretations. The Telugu padam in raga Chakravakam enveloped the intrinsic aspects of Vilasini Natyam. Her depiction of the khanditha nayika was mesmerising on account of her good use of expressions and refreshing visualisation of the theme.
She wound up with a Javali in raga Jhonpuri. Here the nayika is a bold woman who goes to the ‘other woman's' house where the hero is hiding. She even threatens the woman who is playing with the affections of her love. Swapnasundari's nuanced performance, incorporating various instances to interpret the lyric, is a learning process even for an uninitiated audience.
The festival was organised by Kuchipudi Dance Centre in Delhi in association with Natyaveda and Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan.
