A tightly coiled energy unleashed itself to display karanas and fluid moves – it formed the nucleus of Janaki Rangarajan's dancing for Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha at R.K. Swamy Hall.
Janaki is a prolific performer based in Washington and is a disciple of Padma Subrahmanyam. It was heartening to see that grace and fitness played important roles in assuring the impact of her natyam.
Janaki established a pedigree exposition of power-packed adavus that alternated with the ardent longing of the heroine in the varnam ‘Sami Ninne Kori' aided by the backing of vocalist Hariprasad's rendering.
Her abhinaya was in top form in the padam ‘Unnai Thoodhu Anupinaen' where she radiated the emotions of hurt, betrayal and anger.
‘Baro Krishnaiah' did have the element of bhakti and the miracle at Udipi was well-portrayed but lacked the smooth mastery of the earlier pieces. Paras tillana was another vibrant essay of nritta performed with sincerity.
Presented with conviction
The vivid scarlet and pink tinges of Kavitha Ramu's costume gave advance notice of her performance, for Brahma Gana Sabha at the Petachi Auditorium, where energy held sway over fineness of feeling. Erudite compering by Revathi Sankkaran gave it an absorbing layer capitalised by the dancer in her unequivocal depictions.
Although the theermanams composed by mridangam player Kesavan for the Kannada varnam in Khamas sounded strong and vibrant, it was an advantage squandered away in a couple of places due to poor timing.
Overall the dancer's experience carried through to impart the sublime glory of Krishna for this piece. Her heartfelt portrayal for ‘Netrandi Nerathile' was a composed enquiry of Muruga about his dalliance, which carried conviction. Kuntalavarali Tillana added vitality.
