The vanishing art of subtlety
LEELA VENKATARAMAN
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Dancers bring newness to their art through a return to traditional perspectives.
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PHOTOS: AVINASH PASRICHA
REFINEMENT ON STAGE: A scene from the group performance by Sushmita, Jayashree, Deepti Gupta and Nisha Mahajan
`Of fame and name I have none; but I retain my identity firmly anchored to my traditional moorings,' said the understandably hurt Kathak Guru Munna Shukla, a grandson of the late Achchan Maharaj, who has watched juniors being conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award denied to him. A rare evening hosted by Tyaag saw the guru take the India International Centre stage in the unusual performer role. After retiring as teacher at Kathak Kendra, the guru is now training disciples at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra.
Instead of the usual "shor sharaba" of Kathak rhythmic frenzy, Guru Munna Shukla's Teen tala exposition highlighted the subtleties of Kathak — the kasak-masak, the delicate wrist and torso movements, which in the current compulsions of fluently negotiating larger performances spaces, have been lost sight of. Delicate movement shadings are not visible to audiences seated too far. Here one witnessed an attitudinal change with subtle rhythmic touches pulsating with silent fractional intervals between tala beats adding piquancy to the articulated syllables. How often does one see five-and-a-quarter matras or six-and-three-quarter matras in footwork?
Shambhu Maharaj's Natwari Nritya bandish or the Naavgat are not oft rendered today. Rare Udaan bandishes plus the slow spun beauty of the Dhrupad "Kunjan me Racho Raas" in Khamach rendered at two speeds had the same repose. The starting point of `sam' was only suggested at times in footwork, and at others it was a quiet inevitability very different from the triumphant exhibitionistic display seen nowadays.
Jayalakshmi Eshwar in performance.
The guru's choreographic vision in Ghungroo Tarang, presented by disciples Sushmita Ghosh and Jayashree Jagan (Khetri) had the same introspective feel, the music of the ankle bells very lyrical in evoking the feel of gentle waves, particularly in Sushmita's footwork. Based on Hindustani music of Khayal (raga Basant, Jhap tala), Tirvat (Basant Bahar, Roopak), Sargam (Bahar, Ek tala) and Tarana (Kaushik Dhuni, teen tala) was Chaturang. The entire treatment of unobtrusive artistry had dancers Sushmita, Jayashree, Deepti Gupta and Nisha Mahajan weaving in and out of the stage. In a generally graceful performance, Sushmita stood out.
Book on gestures
Another unostentatious evening away from the glare of publicity was at the Delhi Karnataka Sangha auditorium where retired diplomat Lalit Mansingh released Jayalakshmi Eshwar's book entitled "Hastaa Prayoga", on the vocabulary of hand gestures in Bharatanatyam. What with theory-shy Bharatanatyam teaching of today, this is a handy book for all students of Bharatanatyam, for it gets down to essentials without frills of needless scholarship. Clear illustrations of the hastas with the viniyogas (usage) with the Sanskrit Abhinaya Darpana quotes with English translations make this a practical book for Bharatanatyam dancers. Alongside is a DVD with additional illustration through performance for those who wish to make use of it.
Guru Munna Shukla.
The after-release recital had its invocation in an attractively choreographed group presentation of Ravana's Shiva Tandav Stotram rendered by Jayalakshmi with five students (four female and one male). Both assertive and graceful, episodic flashes with eye-catching group arrangements, like Shiva as Tripurantaka destroying the three demons, characterised the item. Jayalakshmi's solo began with a unique representation of the Devi in her fierce and gracious moods based on Shakatapuram Shankaracharya's Ambashtavam, set to Sriranjani. The beeja mantras woven into the choreography and specially designed teermanams (courtesy Sivakumar) along with the dancer's involvement made for a stirring item. Jayalakshmi's visualisation of Sur Das padavali-s on the first Krishna-Radha encounter set to ragas Mohanam, Bihag, Hamsadhwani and Hindolam (late O.S. Sridhar's score), portrayed a very skittish young Radha. Transcending the disadvantages of a small stage was the fine group understanding in the tillana finale in Ratipatipriya. Vidya Srinivasan (vocal), Sriganesh (mridangam) and Raghuraman (flute) gave fine support, with guru Krishnamurthy not at his best in nattuvangam.
East-West confluence
At the Nehru Park, under ICCR and NDMC sponsorship was an unusual cross-cultural event conceived by Jyotsna Shourie of a Bharatanatyam production "Star over Bethlehem" set to East/West music of carols sung by Sharmila Livingstone and simple Hindi script set to music by the versatile O.S. Arun, whose own singing married the Carnatic flavour with the clarity of Hindi sahitya.
In fact Carnatic ragas catching the typical western and Hindustani lilt formed the backbone of the production, with amateur students of the Dance Centre dancing the uncomplicated rhythms in synchronicity. The required spiritual aura was well captured.
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