Dance duo disappoints
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The opening performance of Sica Nrithyotsav 2005 by Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao was not up to the mark.
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Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao.
The annual South Indian Cultural Association's `Nrithysotsav 2005' opened to a rather sparse start — one due to the persistent summer and the other due to the less popular artistes.
Few down south are aware of the artiste couple Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao as Kuchipudi dancers of repute. If ever there was a stage show that had more speech and less skill, it was this.
The wide repertoire theoretically embraced everything from a padam, jati swaram, Shiva Parvathi, asthapadi, javali, a Thyagaraja kriti and so on but none took off to great heights as was expected from a nationally acclaimed (Jayarama Rao was conferred with a Padma Shri) artiste duo.
Despite a good orchestra, barring the vocalist (who had a melodious voice with a reach so low that it was inaudible), it was an unreal Kuchipudi that squirmed at the fringes with weightless adavus (footwork), artificial abhinaya and effortless dance.
The only notable thing was the series of muktaimpu (technical closures for each pattern of footwork), which were more pronounced than the actual footwork.
The entry and exit of the artistes for each item number resembled a rustic street play where dancers unceremoniously walked in and walked out after each piece.
If the couple desired to strike a statuesque posture at the opening of each number, the least that could have done was to draw the curtains to a close and reopen afresh with each dance piece. It was aesthetically hurting.
A few good scenes
Except a few scenes like the Gajendra moksham at the very beginning (in Swati Tirunal's composition Sri Ramana Vibho... ), where the tussle between the elephant and the alligator was portrayed convincingly by Jayarama Rao and Vanashree, the Prahalada-Nrisimha episode in the Thyagaraja kriti and the javali by Meenu Thakur, the rest of the presentation was a steady regress.
The jati swaram in Hindolam seemed like three solo dancers at variance on the same adavu patterns instead of a beautiful blend.
The dancing styles of the three were in prominent display — the sprightly Meenu Thakur (the disciple), the stiff-necked Vanashree and taut-limbed Jayarama Rao — making for gross disparities in execution of footwork and gestures.
The Thyagaraja kriti in Brindavana Saranga, Kamalapthakula Kalashaabdhi Chandra, a solo rendition by Vanashree shorn of all jatis, with a vocal (by D.S.V. Sastry) that was lost into whispers probably in an attempt at feeling, was insipid to say the least.
Vanashree barely touched upon any valid footwork, leave alone intricate patterns.
The duo's Arthanareeswara aspect was a total disappointment where as Shiva and Parvathi, they made do with cinematic gestures of feet and hands rather than arduous nritta as it ought to be.
The episode from Srimad Bhagavad Gita was also a wishy-washy affair.
Meenu Thakur comes out as a graceful dancer with extensive abhinaya in the javali — Tattara padanela chaalu chaalu set to Kalyani.
The new bride's discomfiture, sensuousness and scare, all intermingled in her expression as she emoted her way through the javali with impressive eye and body language.
Rajagopalacharya's mridangam with Srikanth's percussion support and Ravi Kiran's flute were like the proverbial saving grace.
Narayana Murthy's nattuvangam and D.S.V. Sastry's vocal could have been more perceptible.
The violin sounded like a real sting instrument in Sai Kumar's hands. The Sica Nrithyosav was hosted at Ravindra Bharati.
RANEE KUMAR
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