Nothing in Priyadarsini Govind’s Bharatanatyam has changed — the margam, the crisp nritta and the intense abhinaya — are all there. Priyadarsini looked relaxed, like she had nothing to prove to anyone. Hers is a style that allows for silence in between — the difference between a tailored fit and a loose garment.
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Priyadarsini commenced her performance with a pancha jaathi alarippu for Pambatti Sidhar’s ‘Aadu pambe’. The stiff natyarambam adapts to embody the snake as the dancer deftly navigated the rhythm created by mridangist G. Vijayaraghavan with music arrangement by Rajkumar Bharati.
The silence was more apparent in the beautiful Khamas daru varnam ‘Mathe Malayadhwaja’ (Adi tala, Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavatar). The bells were heard during the jathis but just so, without amplification. The pallavi and anu pallavi were devoted to the creation of Shiva and Parvathi’s children — Ganesha and Muruga — and their family of animals and vahanas. Parvathi overcomes the Chanda-Munda asuras and is venerated as goddess Chamundeshwari with a crescent moon on her head.
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Priyadarsini is light on her feet, and is agile and graceful. The Vazhuvoor jathis and the arudis were beautifully intoned (Jayashree Ramnath) and executed, leaving one to appreciate the quiet brilliance.
The dancer is also choosing subtler subjects to mime. Ravana’s 10 faces were detailed in their divergent reactions to his immoral desire and the subsequent loss of his stature — one cries, one stares, and one looks down in shame. The song ‘Dasa mukhi’ composed by Rajkumar Bharati, sounded different with flat notes.
The dancer’s penchant for humour is well-known. The 14th Century poet Vidyapathi’s ‘Ki kahab he sakhi’ provided an honest response from a newlywed about her nuptial night. The nayika is embarrassed when approached the following morning. Hesitantly she replies, ‘He mauled me. Like pearls around a monkey…’
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Commencing on the higher octave, vocalist Murali Sangeeth endowed ‘Jagadodharana’ (Kapi, Adi, Purandaradasa) with auspiciousness. The irony of Yashoda protecting her young one from a snake, when she knows Vishnu reclines on Adisesha, and when the mother lovingly carries Krishna on her back, knowing well he carries the world on his, were presented with poignancy. Her subtle abhinaya and the timing made it effective.
The dancer concluded with a Purvi thillana (Rupaka, Thirugokaranam Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar) and an abhang (‘Vrindavani venu’), which describes a scene in Vrindavan where a peacock and the cowherdesses keep beat to Krishna’s flute, while all other beings are entranced by it.
Shikhamani (violin) and Muthukumar’s (flute) renditions were consistently melodious while Shaktivel Muruganandan (mridangam) and Jayashree Ramnath (nattuvangam), were restrained and dignified, enhancing the dancer’s vision of quiet enjoyment.