Students prove worthy of guru
The greatness of dancer-teacher Vani Ganapathi came to the fore when her disciple Ramya R. Sunad's dance elaboration of Guru Kalyanasundaram's Sri raga varna (Swami unnaithy) at the Yavanika on the last day of the Ankuar-2006 dance festival contained all the salient features of a meritorious Bharatanatya artistry. An old time krithi in praise of the Goddess Sarasamukhi (Gowdamalhar) was given a fair treatment in abhinaya. The impact could have been more fetching but for the ups and downs in vocal support rendered by Vani's mother Indu Bala. Ramya had enlivening support led by Guru Vani Ganapathi and Pulikesh (nattuvanga), Balasubramanya Sharma and Indubala (vocal) and others.
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The young and energetic Bharatanatya performer Shivaranjani, who holds a government of India scholarship, presented the last programme. Trained by the popular exponents of Bharatnatya, Kiran Subramanya and Sandhya Kiran, she demonstrated all the good points of her training.
Her nritta was vivacious and vibrant. Though one wondered whether such a speed as was picked up by the nattuvanar and the mridangist followed by the dancer Shivaranjani was necessary at all.
However her hold over laya was remarkable. She was totally involved while dancing. In the delineation of Lalgudi's Charukeshi varna (Ennum enmanam) Shivaranjani enacted the episodes of Narasimha avatara, Draupadi maana samrakshane and others. Her abhinaya was communicative. Kiran Subramanya (nattuvanga), Sharma (vocal), Mahesh (flute) and Harsha Samaga (mridanga: though he sounded harsh here and there) enriched the dance with their powerful play.
M. SURYA PRASAD
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