Bright and vivacious, Bhavya Balasubramanyam came on stage with a burst of energy, an energy she sustained right through her performance. The opening ‘Aananda Nardana Ganapathim’ turned into a full fledged item with variations in the rhythmic sequences that Bhavya handled comfortably. One was struck by how completely in sync Bhavya was with the rhythm-she made it look so easy.
Bhavya had chosen the lengthy ragamalika varnam ‘Sami Ninne Kori,’ dedicated to Lord Brahadeeswara, as the main item of the evening.
Choreography by S. Srilatha, who also performed the nattuvangam that evening, was remarkable for the variations it brought into the movements. There was a good blend of lasyam and tandavam and the sequence of the steps was unpredictable. The swaram with postures of Lord Siva incorporated in it was well done, with appropriate time being allowed for the poses to come through. A few details were also kept in mind while performing the abhinaya, as in correcting ‘errors’ in the ‘kolam’ pattern, for instance.
The sancharis focused on detailing preparations for prayers and so on, with brief references to episodes from mythology, and the presentation of the lovelorn heroine was charmingly petulant. This was becoming in a young dancer, but the depiction of a virahotkantitha nayika, in principle, calls for more depth.
Bhavya, handled the depiction of the angry heroine with élan, saying ‘you’ve had your say, now listen to me,’ in ‘Nee Maatale Maayanura.’
Bhavya had committed support from Chitrambari Krishnakumar, who provided vocal support, K.R. Venkatasubramaniam on the mridangam and Muruganandam on the violin. The tillana in Kadhana Kuthuhalam was a dynamic finish to the performance. It would be good for Bhavya to pay a little attention to the left hand movements, especially in the ‘kita taka thari kita thoms’, but Bhavya is an extremely good dancer and her performance left the viewer with the satisfied feeling of having witnessed a very good performance.
