Day one of the annual Debadhara fest marked a ‘Nritya Parampara’ featuring two dance genres, viz Odissi and Kuchipudi which are strangely alike as well as alien to each other. The highlight of the two performances was the gurus taking to the stage – a treat for the aficionados.
Guru Ratikant Mohapatra portrayed the dilemma and devotion of the outcast Shabhri from Ramcharitra Manas with élan. He kept himself to picturising the tottering, aged devotee of lord Ram who had spent an entire lifetime in waiting for her beloved lord to cross her threshold and facilitate her passing out of the world with His immense blessing. Every nerve and sinew of the seasoned dancer Ratikant throbbed with emotion – now groping, now so joyful on sighting Rama, now blinded with tears of joy, now anxious to feed him with whatever she had in her forest dwelling, now totally mesmerised by His divine presence, now content that her life’s purpose has been fulfilled – all these flitted across his countenance in a finely cultivated emotive expression while his gait (that of an old lady) with his left hand supporting his back was so convincing as to draw a picture of Shabri as she was described by the poet in the original. As with this piece as well as the one enacted by his disciple Rajashri, music always came thumbs up in Srjan school of Odissi nritya paribhasha (Kelucharan Mohapatra school).
Lively footwork
Rajashri’s Ardhanareeswar done to Adi Sankara’s verses on the same was a beatific presentation and a joy to behold. Her energetic footwork with statuesque stances, her varied and perfect abhinaya delineated the Shiva-Shakti figures with striking clarity. The alternately woven nritta to mnemonics – now depicting the male principle and now the female – went with the flow of the song enhancing the effect. It should be mentioned to her credit that Rajashri pulled off this duality in her solo devoid of any props with amazing alacrity, both on the pure dance front and abhinaya.
Veteran Kuchipudi gurus Radha and Raja Reddy were a welcome surprise on stage as they donned the roles of Bhagwad Gita scenario with quiet dignity. Encircling the stage as if with stirrups in hand Raja Reddy as Krsna the charioteer with Radha (Arjun) in tow acted out the scene in great detail. Radha astounded the audience with her flexibility and pace at dancing. Her abhinaya has not lost its original charm despite so many years. Then, Bhavna Reddy dressed as Krishna and Yamini as Radha spelt perfection in nritta with absolute adherence to taal, which is their forte, thanks to their guru-father.
Yamini and Bhavana Reddy
Not a step out of sync, the pair’s performance was a visual treat.
Their sancharis in tow, the variety of footwork patterns with fluidity in movement always give their dance a cutting edge over other styles of this genre. Tarana was an exquisitely carved piece of pure dance choreographed by Guru Raja Reddy. And the daughters did him proud.
The fest was hosted at India Habitat Centre.
