Precision in body lines backed by the energy to conserve them were strong points of Sai Santosh's recital at the inaugural function of the Indian Fine Arts Society. An undergraduate student and a disciple of Guru Adyar K. Lakshman and his daughter-in-law Deepa Baba Prasad, Sai Santosh's quicksilver reactions to the duo's nattuvangam spoke well of his training.
Typically the composing featured knotted patterns in rhythm that have become the hallmark of the Guru's style. Tradition and purity of technique were emphasised not only in dance but also music as evident from the ghana ragas featured in the programme.
Pushpanjali was straightway succeeded by jatiswaram in Kharaharapriya. A good posture and an almost geometrical agility in executing the adavus lent dignity to this song that is often scorned as a beginner's choice. The brisk pace was just right and gave Sai Santosh the 'take off' for the evening.
With eight stanzas in ragas set in Rupaka talam flowing through Kalyani, Thodi, Sankarabaranam, etc., unto the concluding part in Bhupalam, Nityakalyani was a musical treat . This formed the nucleus of the recital and embodied a poet's faithful love for the 'ever auspicious, effulgent mother.'
The sandwiching of sahitya describing the extraordinary facets of the Devi within rhythmical and swara passages had an effect quite different from that of the padavarnam. With great vigour and the emphasis on the devotional content this seemed perfect for the male dancer. The liveliness of the dancing and the vocals of Shrikant and Guru Adyar K. Lakshman ensured that there was no dip in the mood while traversing the alternating pathways of sollu, swara and sahitya. Mridangam by Baba Prasad the maestro's son and violin of T.K. Padmanabhan added depth to the dancing.
It was gratifying to see Sai Santosh maintain the common thread of Bhakti through the varying ragas but the elaborations such as the story of the churning of the ocean met with mixed success. His development of the drama needed greater intensity in illustrative expression to match up to the vigour of his pure dance moves. This should be a target well within the reach of the hard working dancer.
Krishna's grandiloquent appeal to Radha to shed her anger was a sincere attempt by Sai Santosh. The raga Mukhari and Khanda Chaapu and the composing of Rukmini Arundale worked its magic in the Jayadeva’s Ashtapadi. Although the dancer remained all solemn and true, his grasp of the essentials of feeling made this a believable characterisation. Thillana in Brindavanasaranga and Adi by Madurai N. Krishnan was a spirited show of rhythm and melodic phrase.
Absorbing presentation
The show that preceded Sai Santhosh’s performance was a visual delight. The group of thirteen dancers from Secunderabad displayed amazing balance and coordination in the short but engrossing recital titled Deepa Tarangini. The recital followed the inaugural function where Students of Sri Rama Nataka Niketanam (established by Ramamurthy in 1970 and currently) trained by his daughter Manjula Ramaswamy kept the audience absorbed with their smiling faces, bright costumes and graceful hand movements in the Bharatanatyam style.
While all dancers performed throughout perched on the gaily painted pots, the one in the centre had an extra challenge as her pot was placed not on the stage platform but on a special pedestal. Each dancer swivelled on one leg while bearing not one but three lighted candles. Of these one was placed aloft a set of three-tiered pots borne on the head, while two were held in each palm. The recorded music with different instruments such as the veena and the flute was tastefully tuned to swaras in different ragas and the pancha nadais .
Under the circumstances the young girls could perform only minimal Bharatanatyam movements. Still some suggestions of this style were made by demonstrating the araimandi and simple poses while still balanced on the pot. The movements were gymnastic but tasteful without keening over to sensationalism. Some simple steps in the end underscored the depth of this style. Deepika, Anupama, Maheswari, Sruti, Srishti, Vineeta, Tejaswini, Varshini, Samata, Manideepa, Harini, Satyaprasoona and Dedeepya radiated confidence in the special programme.
