The experiment and effort paid off. Kathak dancer Hemanta Kumar Kalita’s aptly titled solo “Dancing to the Eastern beats”, set to the rhythm of instrumental accompaniments of the North East (Assam to be precise) was an artistic exercise in absolute sync, accurate beat (taal) and arithmetic foot moves with additional assets like grace and groove.
The artiste had a novel way of presenting his technique. With cymbals in both hands that clanged to the rhythmic beat of the orchestral percussion, Hemanta gave us a peek into his expertise – the deft footwork to natwari, a signature Kathak wherein he devised patterns while his hands held on to either a pair of cymbals or were busy with the morsing which he played as he kept pace with his dance. It was worth a watch. Layakari being his forte, the miming of a hunt with bow and arrow held in position, the graceful leaps and pirouettes while he emulates lord Shiva first in vilambit and then in drut, pulling the chariot to a halt tugging at the stirrups and the ensuing duel was told with an eloquence and elegance that needed neither verse nor song. The percussion and his anklet bells told it all!
Ullas obviously prepared us for a revelling group dance that heralded the romantic seasons of spring and monsoon, themes ingrained in classical performing arts as also Radha- Krishna lore that is at the core of Kathak. The template where group gets paired into threes and twos or fours that criss-cross making for picturesque formations, the unobtrusive drift of the other dancers towards the rear end of the stage while one pair gets highlighted in the forefront when it comes to footwork delineations, chakkars that round off with the tihayi, the mild use of a digital screen to enhance the effect of the dance language gave us a glimpse into the choreographer’s creative abilities. The dancers’ skill lay in picturising the song into a visual through footwork and gestures. In doing so it must be said to the dancers’ credit that some of them were able to recreate the onset of rain from pitter-patter drops to torrential downpour with sheer sound of their anklet bells and footwork. Of special mention, were artistes Divya, a senior, and Radhika, a petite but vivacious dancer who stood out even while in a group, one by virtue of her energetic nritta and the other with a volatile countenance that mirrored the emotion of the song to which the group danced.
Despite the overall appeal of the performances which were easy on the eye and a pleasure to the viewer, a few flaws like the mild lack of sync in the senior group of four as they converged into a flower-like stance could be taken care of if perfection is the objective of all performances. Secondly, it is true that the group choreography, however, well rehearsed is always unpredictable on the stage, a little more care to coordinate eye movements especially facial expression (mukhabhinaya) would go a long way in future endeavours. The lining up of pieces to be presented also needs a thought where a thread of continuity should run making for a wholesome treat rather than bits and pieces put together. The ancient and medieval styles should be sharply delineated so that the audience would be educated through the presentation and would be more appreciative in future.
