Revisiting a creative work always poses a challenge for the artist concerned. There is always a dilemma whether to present it in its original form or adapt it to the changes of the time. Lakshmi Viswanathan, whose Vata Vriksha was premièred in 1985, faced a similar predicament when she presented it at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan recently. But she decided to stay true to the original.
This particular production traces the evolution of Bharatanatyam. Lakshmi in her inimitable style, marked by fluidity of language and movement, drew the audience’s attention when she came in as the Sutradar to unfold the story with a dash of humour, which is second nature to her. Beginning with folk forms, moving on to ritualistic expressions and then to pastoral celebrations, temple and court dances, its degeneration during the Dark Ages, and finally its resurrection and relevance in the contemporary scenario, the dancers told the story of dance through dance.
Particularly impressive were the sequences, where the dancers lying in a horizontal position were lifted by men to portray a statue coming alive and the tableau of a temple chariot.
Lakshmi performed the Todi varnam ‘Daanike’ in which she intelligently used the choreography to make the younger dancers do the nritta portion, while she elaborated on the abhinaya segments. The use of Muthiah Bhagavathar’s nottu swaras to herald the arrival of the East India Company was appropriate.
On the flip side, sequences like the confrontation between Muthulakshmi Reddy and E. Krishna Iyer about the Devadasi Act seemed a tad too long, setting in monotony because of repetitive movements. Like dance, the audience too has evolved over the ages. So while it seemed interesting to go back to a different period in time, it’s also necessary for the dancer to rework and edit a few sequences to suit contemporary needs. The young dancers displayed enthusiasm and conviction, but Lakshmi’s experience — her entries and exits, and her presence on stage never went unnoticed and made a marked difference to the production.
