Margam splendidly
showcased
T.K. GANAPATHY
| Artistes displayed the charm of Margam at the dance
festival held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. |
STRICT ADHERENCE TO
PANDANALLUR TRADITION: Meenakshi Chitaranjan's troupe presenting
`Sundarar.' Photo: S. Siva Saravanan.
The value and greatness of the Bharatanatyam Margam
was demonstrated by the students of Shree Natya Niketan on the
second day of the sixth dance festival held under the aegis of
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Brought up under the tutelage of Mridula
Rai, the disciples gave a spirited display of their talent. After a
refreshing depiction of the various forms of Lord Krishna in the
initial item and a vibrant jatiswaram in the next by SreeRaksha and
Swathi, the guru, Mridula Rai's expressive display of the nayaki
bhava towards the Lord in `Sakhiye inda jaalam enadi,' a
Sankarabharanam varnam, revealed the dancer's keen sense of rhythm.
`Vellai thamarai pooviliruppal' by SreeRaksha and
Swathi and a lilting tillana in Dhanasree as the last item were
delectable. Mridula Rai showcased her artistry in `Kuraionrumillai'
depicting the mesmerised nayika on her sighting the statue of Lord
Krishna. The accompanists were Vanathi Raghuraman (nattuvangam),
Neela Sukanya (vocal), Vijayaraghavan (mridangam) and Padmanabhan on
the violin. On the whole, a refreshing touch to Margam by the
artistes won all round acclaim.
Ecstatic
Savants have euologised the importance of
namasankeertanam as the easiest means to God-realisation in
Kaliyuga. Bhakti or devotion to the Lord is the leitmotif of all
fine arts, especially in the dance art form. Carefully researched by
T. S. Parthasarathy and conceived and choreographed by Srekala
Bharath, `Echoes of Bhakti,' a dance feature based on the songs of
Annamacharya by Srekala and her disciples evoked an ecstatic mood
among the audience in the packed auditorium in the next edition on
the second day of the dance festival.
Commencing with `Nee Kathamruthamu' in Bhairavi as
a good introduction, the succeeding numbers `Sreemann Narayana'
(Bowli ), `Bhavayami Gopalabalam' (Yamunakalyani), `Brahma Kadigina'
(Mukhari), `Deva Deavm Bhaje' (Hindolam), `Vande Vasudevam'
(Sreeragam), `Madhava Keshava' (Neelambari), `Itu Garudanunee'
(Kedaram) and `Bhavamulone' (Suddhadhanyasi) were illustrative of
the nine forms of bhakti sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam,
padasevanam, archanam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam and atmanivedanam
culminating in the ecstatic state of bliss attained by the devotee
in the rapid footwork and changing facial expressions of the
dancers. They scored well in the delineation of the emotional
element embedded in each of the songs chosen.
The rasikas became emotionally charged at baby
Sreemathi's meticulous attention to nritta and bhava and she became
the apple the of everyone's eye.
Chidambari Krishnakumar's beautiful voice made the
listeners reminisce some of the songs of Annamcharya popularised by
late M. S. Subbulakshmi. Her nattuvangam and vocal support was ably
assisted by Dhananjayan (mridangam) and Shankar on the violin.
Aesthetic
On the third and final day of the sixth dance
festival of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the ambience was surcharged with
the strains of an outpouring of Swami Shivananda's Ganesa stuti as
the invocatory hymn for `Kadambary' presented by the students of the
Temple of Fine Arts - Shivanjali. The artistes trained by their
gurus, Kamakshi Jayaraman and Vimala Chandrasekhar displayed refined
sense of aesthetics in their Bharatnatyam performance. `Ulagam
pugazhum natay kalaiye,' a Dandapani Pillai padam in praise of dance
as an art form, depicted the various facets of life. Swift movements
and the fine-spun music invested the item with serenity and grace. A
blend of jatis and sahityam in a Nattakurinji varnam coming next was
a true test of the dancers' mettle.
The spiritual dance of Siva shown to Patanjali and
others was highlighted with elegance and grace. Tulsidas' bhajan,
`Sri Ramachandra Kripalu,' depicting Rama as the darling of
Dasaratha and the poet's plea that He reside in his heart forever
was brisk and lively. Hanuman tearing his bosom to reveal His Master
was indeed very touching. A rhythmic tillana closed the agenda. The
dancers were Kumuda, Poornima, Archana, Akila, Sowmya, Divya,
Prabhavathi, Nityshankari and Bhaskar. Suryakala (nattuvangam,
vocal), O. S. Arun (vocal) and Shankar Kandasami (nattuvangam)
provided excellent accompaniment.
Melange
of emotions
Choreographed by Meenkashi Chittaranjan,
`Sundarar,' a dance drama was enacted by the students of
Kaladeeksha, Chennai, as the concluding event of the festival.
Strictly adhering to the Pandanallur tradition, the artistes'
emphasis on the complexities of laya orientation was evident
throughout.
The dance drama was a mιlange of emotions. Lord
Siva's curse of His friend Sundarar and Kamalini and Anindadai (two
maids of Consort, Parvati) to be born in Bhooloka, Sundarar's
marriage with Paravainachiar (Kamalini) at Tiruvarur and with
Sangilinachiar (Anindadai) at Tiruvotriyur, Sundarar's loss of
vision, the final union of hearts with the intervention of Lord Siva
and Sundarar's return to Kailash at the end on his sojourn on the
Earth was the theme of the dance drama.
The nritta passages were neatly executed.
Sundarar's appeals, his loss of vision, Lord Siva's graceful
presence (played by Ildiko Gulyas) a Hungarian disciple of Meenakshi
Chittaranjan invested the platform with divinity. Meenakshi
Chittaranjan as Sundara played her role crisply.
Never there was a dull moment and this was not a
little due to the splendid rehearsal support extended by
Gomathinayagam (vocal), Pandanallur Pandian (nattuvangam),
Srinivasan (violin), Viswanathan (mridangam) and A. N. Srinivasan
(flute).
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