Classic steps
NISHA M.
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The sixth Mudra festival was the cynosure of all eyes as dancers set the stage for spellbinding performances.
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Photos: S. Mahinsha, S. Gopakumar
Poetry in motion: (clockwise from top left) Jayaprabha Menon, Prerana Shrimali, Savitha Sastri, Shobhana, Margi Madhu, Meera Das and Deepika Reddy.
Renowned and up-and-coming exponents of various classical dance forms of India made the sixth edition of the annual Mudra festival a well-attended event. Organised by the Department of Culture, Government of Kerala and South Zone Cultural Centre, Tanjavur, the event was a platform to showcase classical dance.
The Koothambalam of Vylloppilly Samskriti Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, the venue of the event, came alive with veteran Jayaprabha Menon’s Mohiniyattam recital on the first day of the festival. Her evocative abhinaya and aesthetic finesses gave a fine start to the fete.
Beginning with a Ganapathi sthuthi in Saveri (Adi tala), she moved on to Adi Sankara’s ‘Bajagovindam,’ the music of which was scored by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar.
This piece and the following Asthapadi in Sankarabharanam gave Jayaprabha ample scope to express her superb skills in abhinaya. She concluded with a Sapthajeeva in Nattakurinji, a piece emphasising the nritta aspect.
The Mohiniyattam recital was followed by a Bharatanatyam performance by Shobana who literally danced into the hearts of the audience with her vibrant and charming presentation.
A vigorous Mallari in Nattakurinji, (Adi tala) was followed by a Keerthanam of Syama Sastri.
The piece, an ode to the Goddess, was an example of her choreographic excellence and proficiency as a performer.
A varnam in Kamboji showcased the danseuse’s grip over abhinaya. Beautiful jatis were also incorporated in the piece. ‘Yaarkakilum bhayama,’ the next piece in Begada, described the nayika’s state of mind as she declares that she knows no fear because the Lord of the town is with her.
Shobana’s ability to feel the pulse of the audience was evident as she transformed complex ideas into a simple, appealing format in her presentation.
Next came a tharangam in praise of Lord Krishna and a power-packed thillana of Swathi Tirunal. Both Jayaprabha and Shobhana danced to a packed house as spectators even occupied the floor to watch their performances.
On the second day, a resplendent Koodiyattam performance by Margi Madhu stood out on account of his captivating presentation. He chose an excerpt, ‘Himakaran,’ from the ‘Aascharyachoodamani,’ which articulates Ravana’s thoughts on Sita after he kidnaps Sita and brings her to Lanka (Sitaapaharanam).
Persona of Lord Krishna
Elegance and agility were the hallmark of the Bharatanatyam performance that came after Madhu’s scintillating act. Savitha Sastri, a dancer based in the United States, began with a Pushpanajali in Valaji, followed by an enticing ‘Madhurashtakam,’ detailing the persona of Lord Krishna.
In the ‘Nrityopaharam,’ the main piece of the recital, she presented a Nindasthuthi that showcases a devotee of Shiva and a devotee of Parvathi arguing over who (Shiva or Parvathi) was superior to the other.
Stories about Shiva and Parvathi were cleverly juxtaposed in the piece, which concludes with the devotees’ realising that they are part of the same cosmic entity.
‘Rasali Radha Rasala Madhav,’ the next item, revolved around the eternal lovers, Radha and Krishna. Her recital culminated with a thillana in Sumanesarenjini.
The third day showcased Kathak and Kuchipudi recitals by Prerana Shrimali and Deepika Reddy respectively. Prerana’s piece de resistance was ‘Shiva Sthuthi’ (in raga Bhatiyar and set to Jap thaal). Her performance included an abhinya piece that was a delight to watch. ‘Stritrayam,’ a deeply moving and thought-provoking choreography in ragamalika and talamalika, highlighted Deepika’s skills as choreographer and dancer.
Meera Das’ performance on the third of the festival was a blend of beauty and artistic exposition. The commencing piece was an appealing Mangalacharan. The pallavi in Kirwani and Tala khemata highlighted Meera’s strong command over rhythm and mudras.
An abhinaya piece based on the Ashtapadi enabled the danseuse to display her guru, Kelucharan Mahapatra’s stunning choreography and her brilliant portrayal. ‘Mokshya,’ the perfect ending to her recital, was a pure dance item.
Padmaja Suresh, a Bangalore-based Bharatanatyam artist performed the main items of the recital while her disciples Vaisali Ramachandran and Vijayalekshmi presented a Nataraja Kauthuvam.
Ode to the goddess
The main piece of the recital was a varnam composed by M. Balamurali Krishna. Set in raga Gambeera nattai, the composition praises the goddess who showers blessings on her devotees. Padmaja also excelled in the Shivapanchakshara slokas and a padam by Swati Tirunal in raga Dwajavanthi.
The five-day festival concluded with a Mohiniyattam performance by Ayswaria Wariar and Bharthanatyam recital by Rajasree Warrier.
After ‘Ganapathy thyani,’ an invocation to Lord Ganesha, came ‘Shiva thatvam,’ a good example of Ayswaria’s artistic prowess. ‘Mayamohanam,’ a padam set in Mohanam in the ‘Sopanam’ style was the main attraction of the recital, in which she has aesthetically interwoven abhinaya pieces.
‘Jeeva’ in Begada, set to Marma thala, is piece that displays the dancer’s sense of rhythm.
After the customary invocation to Ganapati, Rajasree Warrier performed a Keerthanam by Swati Thirunal in Arabhi, describing Lord Vishnu. Next came ‘Ashtaiswaryam’ in ragamalika and a thematic presentation on the life of Lord Krishna.
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