A laudable attempt
BRIGHT PROSPECTS Both Prakrithi and Shwetha (below) did their guru proud
When you have both good looks and great talent, it creates an impact of the highest order. K N. Shwetha, with her total control over laya and the nuances of Bharatnatya, did her seasoned tutor Malini Ravishankar proud. Her performance at the Nayana auditorium during the Every Wednesday Cultural Evening programme, brimmed with confidence and her rendition established the right rapport with the rasikas. She began with an obeisance to Lord Ganesha "Hey Gananayaka".
Appropriately accompanied by her guru on the nattuvanga, Balasubramanya Sharma (vocal, though he did sound unnatural in places), Vivek (flute) and Gurumurthy (mridanga), the dancer dealt with the dance numbers of the evening rewardingly. There was a variety in adavus and greeva bedhas in the execution of the jatiswara. A few excerpts from Ramayana were visualised through her neat abhinaya on the basis of a Tamil pada. Sporting a charming smile, she could capture the inherent sentiments with her fruitful satwikaabhinaya.
The Kannada varna in Vagadheeshwari raga "Sarasaangana kare tare" is about the nayika who is yearning for her nayaka. She implores her sakhi to fetch the nayaka immediately. This was made alive in Shwetha's abhinaya. To support the meaningful abhinaya were nritta and nrithya interspersed judiciously. Narayana Teertha's "Goverdhana Giridhari" (Hindola) brought out the deeds of Krishna in an explicit manner. The dancer was one with the khandita nayika as shown in Sripadaraja's javali "Elladi bandyo nee helayya" (Jinjhoti). Her histrionic abilities were laudable.
Anniversary celebrations
Veteran and noted patron of arts and culture, President of the Academy of Music, K.K. Murthy deserves to be commended for his untiring efforts in popularising our art forms. His brainchild, the unique Chowdiah Memorial Hall has been not only a rendezvous of art-activity but has also been a tourist spot. The silver jubilee of the Chowdiah Memorial Hall is being celebrated by organising at least two programmes every month. Providing a feast of music and dance by the leading artistes both from within and outside Karnataka to the rasikas of Bangalore free of cost has been Murthy's ambition.
In this direction, the audience assembled at the Hall enjoyed each and every moment of the Odissi recital by the artistes of Nrithyagram Pavithra Reddy, Bijoyini Sathpathi and Ms. Raja.
The trio moved like a single unit, covered the vast stage of the Chowdiah Memorial Hall and regaled the audience with a disciplined performance. Those bhangis, charis, bhramaris, chowkas and the swaying movements were typical Odissi. Dancing to a finely recorded music they rendered "Namami Vighnarajam", "Aakrithi" (pure dance number), Jayadeva Asthapadi ("Keshi mardana"), "Nivritthi" and the favourite of Protima Bedi "Seetha Haran" (a sequence from Tulasi Ramayana).
Good effort
Another young and experienced dancer who captured attention was L.S. Prakrithi, a prominent disciple of guru Revathi Narasimhan of Natya Niketan. Her anga-shuddhi was praiseworthy. The traditional Pushpanjali and Ganesha stuti not only warmed up Prakrithi but also set a lively tempo to the recital which was held at the Indian Institute of World Culture.
Her experience and exposures on the stage as an active member of her Guru's Shivakami dance troupe came handy in the presentation. In the delineation of the Valachi varna "Annamai" by the veteran music and dance critic Subbudu, laya seemed to have a lion's share.
In a clever and colourful composition of dance, besides the laya and nrithya, abhinaya was also well taken care of. There was perfect discipline and decorum in their rendition.
M. SURYA PRASAD
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