Pooja Kumar made a positive impact at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan with her lithe and energetic natya. A disciple of Savitri Jagannath Rao, U.S.-based Pooja put in unconditional effort in her spirited nritta and glossy bhava. The thematic presentation centred on Lord Krishna and featured Kannada, Tamil and Telugu lyrics. Interestingly the programme avoided repetitions about Krishna, and successfully created varied moods and shades of emotion.
The choreography by guru Savitri blended traditional Kalakshetra with new moves that looked fresh and symphonic. The orchestral support in the form of Preeti Mahesh's bhava-laden singing and youngster Aarti Kumar's (the dancer's sister) full-throated music combined with Kartik's resonant mridangam, Kalaiarasan's violin and flautist Bhagyalakshmi 's haunting melody were actively harnessed by the guru's nattuvangam.
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Rukmini's epistle to Krishna formed the crux of 'Bhuvana Sundara', a padavarnam in Kannada by flautist Dwaraki Krishnaswamy. Rukmini's characterisation - as different from a run-of-the-mill nayika -- was detailed well. Small touches like drawing his portrait and eulogising his beauty added to the romantic flavour. The lull in the orchestra's instruments for the first line in each stanza added to the rasa.
The dancer's wholehearted commitment to nritta meant that each leap, each adavu sparkled. Yet, one felt that while Pooja's pure dance vibrated with infectious enthusiasm, emoting stayed typically within predetermined limits of the eyes, and hastas ruled more by the intellect.
It was at moments like the sanchari depicting Vishnu donning the Vamana avatar that the dancer showed she was capable of moving beyond the demands of technique and tutoring. Here at last one could see her instinctive bhava that left the rasika waiting for more.
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In the astapadi 'Nath Hare' in Vasanti (popularly also referred as ‘Pashyati Dishi Dishi' set in Desh), the sakhi was an evocative picture who implored Krishna to keep his tryst with Radha. Pooja's delineation of the three personalities made this piece a delight to watch.
A discordant note crept in with the dancer wearing a short, unattractive veil for the Meera bhajan ‘Pag Ghunghroo.' Perhaps a longer fabric would have gone well with the theme of the bhajan. ‘Gaana Mazhai,' a composition of Ambujam Krishna, was a merry piece which emphasised the mesmerising power of Krishna's flute. The tillana in Kadanakutuhalam brought the dancer's journey to an end that evening.