Eloquent expressions on stage

Experienced dancers and their disciples showcased their prowess at a four-day dance festival in Edappally

December 15, 2016 10:20 am | Updated 10:20 am IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Shobana performs Bharatanatyam.

Shobana performs Bharatanatyam.

Four well-known dancers participated in a four-day dance festival at Edappally. On the opening day of the festival, celebrated actor-dancer Shobana presented a traditional Bharatanatyam recital. She started her recital with a Mallari , a Lalgudi Jayaraman composition. With swaras in perfect harmony with movements and expressions of angopangapratyanga , Shobana appeared to be completely immersed in pure dance. In between brisk adavus, the image of Lord Siva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, as one who domesticated the egocentric Ganga and as one in control of birth and death, appeared on stage.

‘Dani Samajendragaamini’ is one of the weighty varnams of Swati Tirunal in raga Thodi, which was part of the old repertoire of Mohiniyattam. Shobana selected the same item as the piece-de-resistance of her recital. She performed the pallavi followed by the jathis with aesthetic precision and composure. As the item progressed to the thematic thread, Shobana seamlessly presented the Nayika’s pangs of separation from Sree Padmanabha. And her description of her Lord as incandescent and as one who had defeated Kamadeva with his prowess was fabulous. For the lines in the charanam beginning with ‘Gaanaparaanihaalikulaani...’, the dancer moved to the sights and sounds of spring. The vocal music that employed taanam for the segment eloquently blended with the sprightliness of the dancer to such an extent that the blooming flowers, the humming bees,the singing cuckoos and the dancing peacock were almost visible on stage.

Shobana’s upangas, especially her eye movements, were evocative. The segment in which her foot-work was solely assisted by the beats on the mridangam had her stamp of creativity.

In a padam that followed, Shobana’s disciple Sreevidya did a presentation of the moods of a mother who is disenchanted by her daughter’s adoration of Lord Siva. Shobana returned to the stage with a Kshetrajnapadam in raga Saurashtram. She concluded the recital with the acclaimed thillana of Lalgudi in raga Pahaadi and a Meera bhajan followed. Although Pahadi transports listeners to the terrain of Hindustani music, Shobana’s deft treatment of the same in multiple visual frames attuned it to the tenor of Bharatanatyam.

Deepali Vichare and her disciples enchanted the audience the next evening with a Kathak recital. She began her performance with ‘Madhurashtakam’ of Adi Sankaracharya. Composed by Pandit Birju Maharaj, the piece is in praise of Lord Krishna. The dancer re-created Krishnaleela on stage in the highly codified language of Kathak. The second item was a group recital titled ‘Vandana and Taal’. The dancers from Mudra, Kochi, invoked Lord Ganesha in compelling phrases and expressions. Taal, which followed, was a pure dance item.

Deepali Vichare performing Kathak.

Deepali Vichare performing Kathak.

The students of Mudra presented two Taraana with considerable ease. Deepali then came back to the stage with the item Thaat, set to Teen Taal. In a Thumri that followed, Deepali convincingly depicted the emotions of the estranged Nayika.

In Meera Abhang, the dancer portrayed Meera. Her yearning for union with the paramatma found excellent expression in Deepali’s performance. She chose ‘Draupadi Vastra Haran’ as the principal item of the recital. After portraying the emotional struggles of a Draupadi about to be disrobed by Dussasana, the dancer went in for the visual adaptation of a poem by Jay Atre. Herein the dancer urged contemporary women to introspect and realise their strength and courage to become self-reliant. The whole scene turned out to be a little loud and dramatic.

The students of Mudra presented a few couple more pieces, giving a finishing touch to the concert. On the third day, lecture-demonstrations were held on Mohiniyattam, represented by three different styles as offshoots of the Kerala Kalamandalam baani . The discourse yielded neither fresh ideas nor unconventional thoughts.

In the evening, Mohiniyattam dancer Pallavi Krishnan and her troupe presented a recital. She began her recital with a visual interpretation of the all too familiar sloka, ‘Yakundenduthusharaharadhavala’, in praise of goddess Saraswathy and the trinity. The execution of the cholkettu set to Ragamalika in slow pace as a pure dance piece was marked by a wide range of movements adroitly backed by the vaytharis (pnemonics). Pallavi’s choreographic dexterity was evident in the first item.

Pallavi Krishnan’s Mohiniyattam performance at Edappally.

Pallavi Krishnan’s Mohiniyattam performance at Edappally.

The very next piece was ‘Sivapanchakashari’ in which Priyamvada Krishnan presented Lord Siva in multiple images. Pallavi then did the central piece in the concert - Pingala, set to ragamalika. Pallavi evocatively portrayed the triangular emotions of sringara, shoka and bhakti, compelling the audience to identify with each of these rasas . Ragas such as Kamboji, Behag, Indolam, Ranjini and Subhapanduvarali lent colour to her myriad moods.

One of Pallavi’s disciples, Arunima Pramod, performed an Ashtapadi, ‘Lalithalavangalatha’, afterwards. Pallavi concluded her recital with a thillana in raga Bagesri.

Rachana Narayanankutty’s Kuchipudi recital proved to be a befitting finale to the four-day festival. She stormed the stage with ‘Balatripurasundari’, an offering to the Goddess set to Ragamalika and Talamalika. Titled ‘Salam , Rachana commendably presented it, fulfilling the choreographic minutiae of Vasanth Kiran. Rachana then proceeded to present the main item, ‘Sivatharangam’/ ‘Ravanayanam’, based on a composition of Narayanatheertha. It was almost like a traditional tharangam but slightly differed in treatment.

Rachana Narayanankutty’s Kuchipudi recital.

Rachana Narayanankutty’s Kuchipudi recital.

With a rare effervescence, Rachana depicted Lord Siva and his attendant essentialities such as the tuft, the damaru, river Ganges, ashes et al. Then she switched to Ravana, the demon king who lifted the mountain, Kailasa and eventually received a boon from Lord Siva. Her verbal rendition as Ravana in full-throated Veera rasa aroused the curiosity of the audience.

Rachana did the last segment of the piece on the brass plate, true to the tradition of tharangam. Her last but one item was Swati Tirunal’s acclaimed padam, ‘Poonthennermozhi’ , set to raga, Anandabhiravi and Adi tala. Instead of dancing the whole padam, she confined herself to pallavi, anupallavi and just one charanam. Rachana concluded her performance with a thillana in raga, Abheri, Adi Tala as an offering to Sita Devi.

The fete was at Changampuzha Park, under the auspices of the ‘Nrittaswadaka Sadas’, as part of the organisation’s anniversary celebrations.

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