A Bharathanatya recital by Navia Natarajan was organised recently by ICCR in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore.
A brief pushpanjali led immediately to Swathi Thirunal's krithi in Kanada raga and rupaka tala, “Mamava Sada Janani”. The radiant moon faced loveliness of the Mother Goddess, who grants the wishes of the devout and slays the evil, was elegantly depicted, with an ideal mix of footwork and an admirable degree of excellence in technique.
The focal point of the performance was an exposition of “Pannagendra Shayana”, the celebrated ragamalika of Swathi Tirunal in rupaka tala, with the eight stanzas in as many ragas exemplifying the nayika's longing for Lord Padmanabha. Intricately choreographed with jathi passages, the item testified to effortless artistry, stamina, and emotive skill that could be developed further to incorporate more intensity and depth. An underlying tone of playful innocence marked the succeeding javali in Saindhavi, “Itu Sahasamulu”, with a live orchestra comprising experienced musicians supporting the dancer thus far.
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The first segment of the concluding item, “Agni”, treated fire as the illuminator resident in the sun, the annihilator of darkness and sustainer of life. The all-consuming power of a raging forest fire culminating in regeneration, which the artiste sought to equate with the human experience, was dramatically delineated in the second segment. The final part portrayed the fire of creativity and the power of the artistic spirit. Punctuated with nritta interludes and performed to recorded music, the piece was an impressive testimony to choreographic and aesthetic acumen.
***“Nrutya Karnataka”, a two-day convention and dance festival held under the auspices of the Sangeeth Natak Academy, New Delhi, and Karnataka Bharatagama Pratishthana, concluded with performances of the Kolar and Nanjangud Paramparas.
The Kolar paramapara component, presented by disciples of Guru Bharatakalamani C. Radhakrishna, began with the beautiful invocatory taya, set to Revathi raga and misra chapu tala, notable for the rhythmic syllables supplemented with nritta passages that preceded each line of the Sanskrit verses, and the ascending scale of the music. The following sapta tala varna set to ragas Bhairavi and Mohanam, was a fine item with elaborate choreography portraying the virahotkhanditha nayika, but a greater degree of perfection in presentation would have augmented the impact. A ragamalika padam, portraying the nayika chiding her paramour for his diffidence, was followed by a thumri “Shyam ke Bina” set to Hindustani Khamach, attesting to the underlying catholicity of outlook and variety in the repertoire.
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The Nanjangud Parampara was represented by disciples of Dr. Mala Shashikant, and began with the striking ashtadikpalaka vandana and Ganesh R.K. set to Revathi raga, featuring some attractive group formations. The ragamalika Rama Ashtapadi, a condensed narration of Rama's life was a crisp solo rendition embellished with well-executed footwork and abhinaya. The ensuing Purandaradasa devaranama “Mella Mellane” set to Mohana raga and aditala, was an enchanting and lively recounting of young Krishna's pranks. Supported by an excellent orchestra, the performances of the evening, were a fitting tribute to the classical dance traditions of Karnataka.