Visual dimension to sublime music
RUPA SRIKANTH
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`Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini,' a Bharatanatyam presentation by Roja Kannan proved a hit with the audience.
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Roja Kannan
On the eve of Janmashtami, the story of Lord Krishna, came alive in Roja Kannan's Bharatanatyam performance for Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kala Kendra.
The dance production `Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini,' named after Saint Narayana Tirtha's Sanskrit masterpiece drew its inspiration and text from the same. The first five cantos encompassing Krishna's infancy, as well as the mischief and miracles of the young cowherd, were presented.
The devotion and grandeur in the music, the mainstay of the Kuchipudi repertoire, were re-created by the involved efforts of Hariprasad as vocalist and music composer, and his colleagues, K. Sashidhar on the flute and M. S. Kannan on the violin. No less competent were senior dancer and teacher Jayanthi Subramaniam wielding the cymbals, and skilful entertainer Nellai D. Kannan on the mridangam.
Krishna's legends never lose their charm with conventional audiences, and this was what Roja took advantage of. Though her mime was overcrowded with gestures or overdone with articulation at times, it simply boiled down to feeling the sublime music and giving it a visual dimension. Roja as an artist has grown in stature and maturity, and her confidence shows in every movement.
Hallmarks of the show
One of the hallmarks of the production was its easy flow, especially in the first half. The narrative captured vividly the circumstances of the birth of Krishna composed in a haunting Charukesi.
The lullaby in melodious Kapi `Sakhalu Nandagopa Mahishi' was enhanced by the flautist's spontaneous foray into Annamacharya's `Jo Achuthananda.' But most beautiful was `Harimeede' in Sankarabharanam, composed as a varnam that spoke of the child's divinity.
Music and mime evoked the sublime, and Roja was at her expressive best here, when Krishna reveals Himself to Yashoda, and in the Vamana avataaram.
The theermanams prefacing these were handled with grace and dignity by both the dancer and the nattuvanar, even while the lilting swarams garnered all attention.
Post varnam, the pranks of Krishna had an unfinished quality about them. Although they were sufficiently detailed, their effectiveness as disjointed pieces was inadequate.
The final piece, a Khamas , Aadi taalam tillana composed by Hariprasad was vibrant, combining both melody and vigour, with the charanam on Krishna penned by Pappu Venugopala Rao.
The other resource persons for the production included Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar, Nandini Ramani and Sushama Ranganathan.
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