Perur Natyanjali, organised by the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Metropolis in association with the HR & CE Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, featured a Bharatanatyam recital by Nandini Vishnu and her disciples.
After an impressive Pushpanjali, the group chose numbers in praise of Lord Muruga and Adikkondar, with well-centred nritta, expressive bhava and commendable footwork on showcase. The thillana as the finale, was vibrant and rhythmic.
‘ Panchavaktra Parameswara ,’ by Mysore B. Nagaraj used different genres - Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Perani and Yakshaganam - to convey five aspects of Lord Siva - Sadyojatham, Vamadevam, Aghoram, Tatpurusham and Eesanam. There was perfect co-ordination among the dancers who used the stage to good advantage with some quicksilver movements. The Ardhnareeswara swarupa had high energy.
The Bharatanatyam and Kathak jugalbandi, Hari Hara, by the Abhinav Dance Company led by Nirupama Rajendra from Bengaluru, spotlighted the attributes of Hari and Hara as expressed through the kriti, ‘Maa Ramanam Uma Ramanam;’ there was plenty of drama here. The dancers etched out the various aspects of Hari and Hara with complete involvement. The portrayal of the attributes of Siva was admirable. Their talent came to the fore in the swift pirouettes from one end of the stage to the other. Subtle humour was induced in a segment based on Purandaradasa’s poem, where Lakshmi and Parvathi gossip about their respective spouses (Vishnu and Siva). There was clarity of gesture and finesse in movement along with apt expressions. The shathavadhani appreciating each other’s (Hari and Hara) virtues and the final thillana was followed by a well-done tani avarthanam with fast-paced jati korvais. The orchestra sustained the tempo of the piece till the end. Kudos to Nirupama and Rajendra for choreographing such an emotionally charged production!
Eloquent expressions and neat movements marked Archana ’s Bharatanatyam presentation on the last day of Natyanjali. Her abhinaya in ‘Sambasivayave’ and sabdam of the Thanjavur Quartet made for a pleasing viewing. The intensity of the devotional mood was established right at the start.
In another performance, Ileana Citaristi and her troupe elegantly combined the bhakti element of Odissi with the martial art component of Chau, which was the highlight on the last day. The mangalacharan 'Sivashtakam' after Pushpanjali was restrained and precise.
The elaboration of pallavi added momentum. The valorous fights of Chitrangadha with her opponent and the realisation of her feminine side was executed aesthetically with brisk movements. In Mayurbhanj Chau, the artists used simple movements of hands, eyes and face to depict the moods of Siva - from serene to ire to a state of intoxication. Throughout, Ileana was a picture of sophistication carefully sculpting each movement for maximum effect.
The accent was on fast-paced nritta and Ileana picturised scenes which drew dance buffs into the scene. An excellent orchestral team contributed to an aesthetic and evocative experience, in keeping the tempo throughout.
Kavitha Ramu ’s thematic presentation of Anjali revealed her proficiency in emoting for an Oothukadu composition and Dikshitar’s Anandathandava in Kumudakriya raga. Her subtle expressions for the varnam in praise of Lord Arunachala at once caught the attention of the audience. Her training has helped her maintain clarity of footwork at high speed, not to mention unflagging stamina.
She concluded with a brisk thillana. She has the capacity to hold sthayi bhava for a while, though she could consider offering more variation in her interpretations.
(krishangan@gmail.com)
