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Dancing to a celestial tune
GUDIPOODI SRIHARI
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The works of the saint poet found a dance interpretation.
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The show was a tribute to Alamelu Manga, Lord Venkateswara’s consort
Detailed abhinaya Sobha Naidu presented different characters with grace.
As part of the 600th Annamacharya Jayanti a festival of song and dance was organised at Thyagaraya Ganasabha last week. The show was a tribute to Alamelu Manga, Lord Venkateswara’s consort, through dance by Kuchipudi exponent Sobha Naidu and he
r disciples.
One aspect of this presentation was a rarely heard composition purported to have been written by Annamacharya in dance format. The pallavi Vachenu Alamelu Manga was more like a traditional Kuchipudi Pravesa Daruvu that is said to have become part of Kuchipudi repertoire in recent times. This was like a Satyabhama’s Pravesa Daruvu describing the qualities and characteristics of Alamelu Manga. Then comes the charanam Rambhaadi satulella cheri - yeduta gambheera gatulanu meera which sounded as if it was a spot where the dancer had to choreograph some jathis (footwork patterns in different talas).
At the end of her show, Sobha referred to this presentation of Navarasas and said that she contacted some scholars of Annamacharya literature on this issue and they agreed to this kind of presentation. Hence she proceeded to do so. The item shaped up well to Kuchipudi idiom.
The navarasa presentation had mythological situations that suited the nine moods, with Sobha changing into different characters with fluid grace. Her disciples presented then the kirtana -Tagudunayya Hari Neeku in Kalyani. Nitya Subhaprada, Kranthi, Gayatri presented it. Again it was the turn of Sobha to come out with childhood deeds of Krishna for the kriti Cheri Yasodaku Sisuvitadu. This was full of sancharis in depicting not only mischief of child Krishna but also presenting a wonderstruck Yasoda watching the whole universe in the little mouth of Srikrishna, opened at her command, doubting whether he filled it with earth. Shodasa Kalanidhiki Shodasopacharamulu a popular number of Annamayya went to the share of her young disciples who did their best to present a detailed abhinaya of the day-long archanas and sevas to the Lord till he retires for the day. Urvasi, Nityasubhaprada and Gayatri shared the drama.
Okaparikokapari was another that Sobha detailed with apt interpretation in her dance, mime and posturing of the deity Alimelu.
From wearing of ornaments to the fine gait of the Goddess - all came into the embrace of the abhinaya part. It would be better if Sobha allows the accompanying vocal support to continue even when she presents a theme in sancharies of her abhinaya. Stopping the vocal support and allowing just musical strains, leave a kind of vacuum in the musical part of the show.
Better, the lines for abhinaya be repeated and rendered in a nereval format so that the dancer could go through all the sancharis set in abhinaya format. The show demonstrated to what depths the dancer could go in delving into the depths of abhinaya. Her disciples Urvasi Satish, Nityasubhaprada, Kranthi and Gayatri Santosh showed promise. C. Narayana Reddy felicitated them. Earlier in the evening, a number of vocalists rendered some of the kirtanas of Annamacharya.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
