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Eloquent Sucheta Chapekar in performance.

The compelling composition catching the ecstasy of Shiva dancing to the rhythms of his own dundubhi in Dundubhi Natyam (Shiva’s percussion sounds symbolise the activating of inert matter, setting in motion the process of evolution), exemplified Deepti’s creative sophistication. The intonations of the dundubhi playing to varying rhythmic gaits from tisram to sankeernam were caught in economy — the effortless danced movements never indulging in empty virtuosity. The dancer’s blissful absorption, in deeply centred movement accelerating in tempo to percussion with Gita Rajendran’s clear-voiced singing of the Poorvikalyani score, communicated to the audience.

Deepti Bhalla.

Closely resembling Poorvikalyani was the Pantuvarali raga for the javali from the Thankacchi Parampara (from which Leela hails). “Avale Tawa Ramani” portrayed the khandita nayika rejecting the nayaka reappearing on her doorstep “after losing himself in some worthless woman.” As in all Thankacchi lyrics, the astringent tone dissolves with the nayika finally relenting. Searing focus conveyed the message in uncluttered simplicity of facial/gestural language.

Playing on the same evening at the mini Mukat Dhara Banga auditorium was “Shades of Life” presented by students of Natya Ballet Centre, which after losing both founder Kamala Lal and daughter Rupa Lal, currently under Sarita Puri, is concentrating on the teaching rather than sponsoring role. With teachers like Aniruddha Das (Odissi), Anil Panchal (Contemporary Dance) and J.J. Sai Babu (Mayurbhanj Chhau), the centre is turning out an enthusiastic batch of aspirants who, in presentations like the Kalyani pallavi by Isha and “Yuddha and Kurukshetra” by a group of Chhau dancers, revealed talent in the making. The assertive Contemporary Dance section projected involved dancers in interesting group arrangements, their agile movements conveying an urgency in “Search for Love” and “Enlivened Marionettes” even when the dance substance did not always chime in with the titles.

At the Stein auditorium before an unfortunately sparse audience, three generations of Bharatanatyam dancers — Pune-based Sucheta Chapekar, daughter Arundhati Patwardhan and niece Yashoda Pathankar — showcased a blend of the Tamilian/Maharashtrian heritage of this dance form. During the Maratha Bhonsle dynastic rule over Tanjore, rulers like Shahaji (1686-1710) and Sarfoji II (1798-1833), contributed significantly as patrons and composers to the then Dasi Attam tradition. Parvati Kumar’s research continued by Sucheta, with Guru Kittappa Pillai adding his choreographic insights, enabled Sucheta’s (trained under both) maiden performance totally based on Maratha compositions in 1969. Tisra Triputa Alaripu followed by Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyar’s “Ananda Nartana Ganapati Bhavaye” in Nata presented by the threesome heralded the conventional start to the Bharatanatyam.

While Sucheta’s Kittappa-school movements exude a soft and mellow grace, Arundhati shows more interpretative flair and Yashoda’s dance has an authoritative firmness. The unusual sakhi/nayika interaction in Ritu Raas to Marathi sahitya “Madhura Madhukaraancha”, introduced to a stirring Keeravani sung by Siva Prasad, featured Arundhati as the plaintive pining nayika with Sucheta enacting the ever hopeful sakhi. Brindavani strains in “Phalguni Masa” heralded the joyous finale.

Another unusual three-in-one was Vyasaraya’s (wrongly introduced by Sucheta as Purandaradasa) “Krishna nee Begane Baro” in Yamuna Kalyani, through various approaches in seeking Krishna — Sucheta’s devotional, Arundhati’s erotic and Yashoda’s motherly. The concluding musical statement of the Universe revealed in Krishna’s open mouth was sung in different ragas suiting the different approaches.

To abstract melody sans sahitya, the cosmic elements were evoked in Pancha Tatwa, visualised by Arundhati and rendered along with Yashoda. It was expressive in parts, with nritta in places becoming fuzzy.

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