Watching powerhouse performer Vaibhav Arekar, it looked as if the vast space of the Music Academy stage was tailor-made for him and his like. With amazing big stage presence and confidence, he seemed to simply own the space.
Vaibhav is a Bharatanatyam dancer from Mumbai, who has trained under Saroja Srinath, Thangamani Nagarajan and Dr. Kanak Rele. He also has a background in dance-theatre, having worked with the Kathak-Kathaakar Rajashree Shirke.
Vaibhav’s repertoire maybe the tried and tested, but the interpretation is contemporary. Eschewing or rather substituting the gestures or hasta abhinaya, Vaibhav uses a universal language of expansive arm movements and facial expressions, especially the eyes. Add to this is another technique - of sticking to the sthayi or the dominant mood, and the effect can be pretty dramatic.
There is a point that he made about playing the nayika in the varnam. His argument is that, just as a male composer can switch and write as a female yearning for the divine, so too can a male dancer or a male body transpose himself and speak as a female. Without having to make a female impersonation.
This argument resulted in a fresh look at the Sankarabarnam varnam ‘Manavi’ (Adi, Ponniah Pillai) that has a love-lorn nayika beseeching Brihadeeshwara for attention. What is usually taken as amorous, was interpreted as bhakti.
But the varnam as such was very effective - Vaibhav covered space with expansive steps and dramatic movements and along with excellent lighting, especially the use of floor lights (Sushant Jadhav) and inspired music (G. Srikanth), created an artistic sound and light show.
However, this approach totally failed in the Ashtapadi (‘Priye Charusheele,’ Vasanthi, Khanda chapu, tuned by O.S. Arun). The expansive gestures diluted an otherwise earnest effort as Krishna running behind Radha seeking forgiveness. Even the most tender moment of Krishna’s plea asking for Radha to place her foot on his head, was lost.
The closing piece on the Seasons, ‘Ritu Chakra’ composed by Professor C.V. Chandrasekhar, was an abstract musical of melody and rhythm without lyrics in Hindusthai ragas and talamalika. Brilliant in parts, boring in other, the whole presentation lost momentum midway primarily because of Vaibhav’s repetitive big movements and circles and lack of impactful, grounded steps.
Vaibhav will do well if he uses the new techniques in moderation and keeps from getting carried away by his own halo.
The orchestra had a domino effect; the vocalist’s brilliance passed on to the others: Eashwar Ramakrishna (violin), Devaraj (flute), Kalishwaran Pillai (nattuvangam) and his brother Dakshinamurthy Pillai (mridangam).
The brothers were responsible for the rhythmic nritta arrangements.
