An ode to the eye
RANEE KUMAR
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Communicating a love affair with the senses through a delightful body language.
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Photo: H. Satish
Conveying through eyes The presentation was a delight to watch.
Sarvendriyanaam nayanam pradhanam’ (of all the sense organs the eye is vital). The eye-inspiring presentation by Ananda Shankar Jayant and her ensemble was a visual delight from the word go. Premiered with a purpose for an ophthalmology conference earlier, this brief piece of choreographic excellence has been chiselled into a full-fledged work in the hands ofAnanda. ‘Darshanam,’ aptly interpreted as ‘an ode to the eye’ is indeed an eulogy to most important sense organ. But the production doesn’t rest at that alone. It takes us beyond the physical sight to ‘insight’ – the core of philosophic thought.
The concept gets seamlessly merged taking the viewers along from the physical to the spiritual plane. Darshanam is indeed a visual pleasure and a touching experience.
To Ananda’s credit, the work comes across as a mature output of poetic, philosophical and artistic understanding. It is extensive in scope and expressive in execution through the medium of dance.
Beginning with the connotation of the movement of the eye in dance parlance, the artistes gesture the various feelings that can be conveyed through the eyes alone (Sama, sachi, alokita, avalokita etc.) which also forms the grammar of abhinaya (expression) as laid down by Nandikeswara. The aesthetics that come into play here and also in the symbolic description of women like Neerajakshi (lotus-eyed), mriganayani (doe-eyed), Meenakshi (fish-eyed), and so on in Sanskrit literature, were a delight to watch.
The dancers move in tandem depicting the eye in myriad ways creating a pattern within the larger design. The scene moves over to Adi Sankara’s eulogy of the Mother Goddess in Soundarya Lahari, where her eyes are known to have changed their expression in quick succession as she sights Shiva from love and longing to annoyance to envy to wonder to fear to mercy (in the verse Shive shrigarardha…) From Shakti’s eyes there is this natural shift to Shiva (the cosmic dancer).
At this juncture, the viewers get introduced to the male dancer Pradeesh Thriutiya, who takes to the stage like lightning. The brief Shiva-Parvati (Ananda) dance was a thing of beauty and a joy to behold. The play of light and shade to create a world enveloped in darkness when Parvati amorously closes the eyes of Shiva with her hands, thereby shutting out the light from the universe-was a piece of artistic finery.
As was the visual impact of the potency of the immediate flow of the narrative depicting the fire that breaks out on opening the third (inner) eye of Shiva.
As we move from pure dance aesthetics of the eye to the mythological and then to the human poignancy of this wonderful piece, we are brought to witness two tales told in two languages-that of Kannappa and Surdas who find God with their inner vision.
Justice cannot be done to ‘Darshanam’ without a word of appreciation on two very important aspects that served to enhance the production. The costumes and the stage setting. The picture of a single eye is all that formed the backdrop and it said everything. It was evident that the costume and accessories (created by Ganesh Nallari) were designed with great care and concern to drive home the point subtly and in a subdued way. Ananda’s disciples Purnima Ashok Kumar, Radhika Tirumala and Shruti Challani made for a perfect foursome along with their guru. Venu Madhav on the vocal was at his emotive best as was Renuka Prasad on the nattuvangam.
Purnima mesmerises
Sica’s ‘Nrityotsav-2008’ unveiled with young local talent Purnima Ashok Kumar’s classical solo (not strictly a margam) wherein she chose to present the ‘Venkateswara’ theme.
The highlight of her one-and-a-half hour (approx) performance was the ‘varnam’ in Shanmukhapriya where Purnima excelled with precision to long-drawn out jatis set to notation as well as swaram. The teermanams were varied and exclusive.
Her execution of footwork, intricate at times, was worked out with arithmetical accuracy which is commendable in one so young. The artiste undertook the sancharis with confidence and grace especially in the lines Srinivasam perumai.. The melodious piece was exploited to its artistic best with Purnima providing the right visual effect through abhinayam, as also natyam. Her staying power was marvellous considering the fact that she took to the stage without a break.
Purnima displayed great potential of emerging as a disciplined dancer – for every move and mood was nothing but ‘right’ by classical standards. Sridharacharya on the mridangam, Renuka Prasad on the nattuvangam were powerful. Vocalist Venu Madhav was simply melodious. Sica should be congratulated for boosting young local talent.
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