Pristine and classical
HARISH BAL
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Choreography was a highlight of Vinitha Nedungadi’s Mohiniyattam recital.
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Evocative abhinaya: Vinitha Nedungadi.
Vinitha Nedungadi brings forth the undiluted dancing style of the old Kalamandalam school with its less complex mudras, and accent on jathis and chaste hand movements. Her recital in Kochi began with a ‘Ganesha sthuthi.’ Then she proceeded to the cholkettu. The beauty of the ragas was assimilated beautifully into the choreography and it was gracefully performed by the danseuse.
Dynamic portrayal
In the piece ‘Kekiyattom,’ the lines ‘Karukarekarmukil’ portrayed the joy of a peacock as the first drizzle hits the earth. The swaying movements of the bird, its expressions, the bird combing its feathers with its beak… were all portrayed dynamically. The piece in Samanthamalahari raga was set to charurasra eka tala. The typical folk strains and rhythm were absorbed brilliantly into the idiom of dance.
At certain points, Vinitha’s abinaya appeared to be a little subdued as in the Swati Tirunal padam ‘Poonthen nermozhi,’ wherein she portrayed a lovelorn nayika.
In her choreographic adaptation of poet Edasseri’s ‘Poothapattu,’ the dancer brought to life the demon’s sly intentions as she lures a child with games. Sreekrishnapuram Madhu gave exemplary vocal support with an emotive rendition of the poem. The performance chose to narrate the story and was not a complete adaptation of the poem.
The maternal instinct of the ogress as well as that of the child’s mother (Nangeli) was brought forth sensitively. Dramatic scenes such as Nangeli offering her eyes in exchange for her son and her threatening to curse the ogress, in order to rescue her child were evocatively depicted by Vinitha. The dance element was not sacrificed as long abhinaya sequences were interspersed with snippets of nritta. Vinitha breathed life into the character of the pootham and one was able to appreciate the poetic beauty of the piece while watching the dance. However, the part where the pootham tries to find the child’s house, an important part of the poem, was not depicted.
The percussion ensemble along with the vocal support created the right ambience for the presentation.
The recital concluded with ‘Tiruseva,’ a devotional item. The programme was organised by Bank Employees’ Arts Movement.
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