Striking recital
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Deepika Reddy and disciples rolled out some of the fascinating old-time hits matched by striking footwork and abhinaya.
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Aesthetic feel Deepika created a rippling effect as Krishna. Photo: K. Gajendran
Adhering to the customary Kuchipudi repertoire, Deepika Reddy and disciples rolled out some of the fascinating, old-time hits like Aaloka ye... balakrishnum , and Kshetrayya padam which never wear out with time.
The nartana (dancing) Ganapathi vandanam (group choreography by Kishore Mosalikanti) had Deepika holding the centre stage in the tarangam, with the other dancers moving in tandem to the lyrics that praise the lord of all fine arts- with hasthabhinaya to indicate the veena Ganapathi, the dancing Ganapathi, the tala Ganapathi and so on.
The manner of delineation was aesthetic and accurate in the context of cadence and stroke. The tarangam (a Narayana Teertha composition) in Ragamaalika laid emphasis on Kaliya Mardhanam and Gita. Deepika's footwork and abhinaya as Krishna with the other artistes alternating as cows and plough, created a rippling effect.
It was a picturesque depiction of a deceptively playful Krishna subduing the venomous Kalindi (serpent). Kopal as Arjuna was most expressive as she emoted awe and anxiety-all in mime sans the support of song- at the array of stalwarts who are to be vanquished.
She conveyed the description of Drona, Bheesma and other elders, so well that even a casual observer was able to discern the dramatic situation. The abhinaya offset the footwork on the tambalam (plate).
The kannaku (rhythmic arithmetic) on the plate could have been more pronounced had the mridangam been made to lower its volume. Deepika's emotive aspect was best seen in the padam (in Kalyani) Yetuvanti vaadey vaadu... that represents a samaya naayika (in dance parlance), a worldly wise woman who is in raptures over the handsome Krishna (Muvva gopala).
The innuendos indicated in the lyric were captured by the artiste by mere eye movement that communicated the mood. Her handling of the coquettish was demure and decorous. Of special significance (on her abhinaya) are two incidents where the naayika pulls out her finger ring and rubs it against her blouse as if attempting to wipe the dust of it and later unscrews her nose-stud-these stand out as testimonials to her sensitive treatment of the song.
Her footwork and the swinging movements had the Vempati Chinna Satyam aura about them.
The varied abhinaya for Kutila kuntala showed her grasp on this aspect of dance. The group tillana was a pleasure to watch with jatis fashioned to bring about coordination among the dancers as well as spell out individual adavu patterns. The spacing of the dancers could have been a little more precise (the right wing stood crowded as compared to a more spanned left).
Jatis were executed in a manner that avoided crowding of the dancers at any particular time. The swarajati by the young disciples was a pleasure to watch. It was a relay of jatis with a set of two artists at a time, which allowed the audience to appreciate the abilities of individual dancers.
Kudos to the guru and her wards for being able to go through the entire exercise without a hitch. Kishore Mosalikanti's nattuvangam (and song), was commanding. Swetha Ravindranath on the vocal, Renuka Prasad on the mridangam, Sai Kumar on the violin, Ravi Kiran on the bamboo made for a fitting orchestra. The performance staged at Ravindra Bharati marked the inauguration of Deepika Reddy's dance school Deepanjali.
RANEE KUMAR
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Bangalore
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