Going great guns
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Neeta Bala's Bharatanatyam performance the other day was an indication of good things to come.
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EXPRESSIVE Neeta Bala in a Bharatanatyam performance.
Neeta Bala, a disciple of Kanaka Srinivasan, gave a brief performance of Bharatanatyam at the Triveni Chamber theatre this past week. The dancer's hard work was evident as she gave the show her best shot. Credit also goes to the enthusiasm of the guru, which is always a vital ingredient to the success of a young dancer's recital.
Neeta's strong point seems to lie in her expressive eyes, large and liquid and often reflective of an inner peace. This asset can be further developed as the dancer matures. The Khamas swarajati, a beautiful composition, was performed with concentration. Neeta also presented an old padam, "Mogaduchi", in which a gopi takes a tearful leave of Krishna, because the groom she was married off to in childhood has returned now to fetch her, though her heart is given irrevocably to Krishna. This wrenching piece was possibly too complicated in its expressional demands for a young artiste.
Guru Kanaka's choreography makes use of leaps and sudden changes of level that lend visual variety and are suitable for young agile dancers. This characteristic was also on display in the tillana in the raga Kalyana Vasantam, a music composition of the veteran Subbudu. What lends a disturbing touch to the dancer's movements is a lack of smoothness in negotiating the leaps and swift turns. The effort shows, and this detracts from the reposefulness that characterises Neeta's abhinaya, causing interruptions in the flow, as it were. It would be vital at this stage to correct the drawbacks in nritta - postures and clarity of footwork - so that they do not detract from the overall quality of the performance. The tendency to take very large strides should also be curbed, and it is essential to keep track of the laya during simple walking. It is ironic how students spend their energies in keeping track of the complicated parts and sometimes miss out on the simple bits.
Guru Kanaka held the reins of the orchestra with aplomb, managing the intricate jatis with varied patterns while maintaining a steady tempo, along with Bejjanki Krishna on the mridangam. Sudha Raghuraman gave delightful vocal accompaniment, with G. Raghuraman on the flute.
ANJANA RAJAN
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
