Thiruvathira show captivates audience

The Thiruvathira folk dance recital was the centre of attraction at the Onam celebrations of the Karnataka Nair Service Society at Kulal Bhavan here on Sunday.

Presented by Malathy G. Menon of Kerala, it was marked by slow, graceful, yet simple movements that switched gear after each small piece.

The highlight was the way they moved their hands even while ensuring back and forth movements of their bodies. The women clad in settum mundum (white saree with golden borders) would move around a shining centre piece, placed on the ground. At first they would hit each others palm and turn around themselves to find another partner in front of them and join hands with her.

In next phase, they introduced a new variety in which they would touch both the palms of the other performer.

Then came a variety in which they locked fingers of each other and danced. You also had a variety in which they locked fingers criss-crossing their hands at wrists.

At no point of time the movements were forceful even when the tempo of music rose higher.