Kalakshetra stalwarts take centre stage
RUPA SRIKANTH
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It was a memorable event, the energy and discipline of Chandrasekar vying for attention with the vidwat and melody of Lakshman.
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PERFECT FOIL FOR EACH OTHER: C. V. Chandrasekar performing as Adyar Lakshman conducts Nattuvangam and (below) Dhananjayan. Photos: S. Thanthoni and R. Ragu.
Two exponents of dance coming together happens very rarely and is something rasikas look forward to. Prof. C. V. Chandrasekar and Adyar K. Lakshman were the two giants, both from Kalakshetra and both so young and vibrant even after 70. It was a memorable programme — the energy and discipline of Chandrasekar's dance vying for attention with the vidwat and melody of Lakshman.
Every item in the margam was delectable and worth mentioning, including the opening Pushpanjali and Alarippu, the latter set in tisra druvam by Lakshman. Never has one heard such resounding applause for the humble Alarippu.
`Manavi,' the Thanjavur Quartet varnam in Sankarabarnam, rightly got all the attention. The dignity with which Chandrasekar holds himself, his agility, his araimandi, his accurate footwork, his correct arm movements, and quite simply the thoroughness of his preparedness made for an unforgettable experience.
The theermanams, a mix of the old and the new, were of the old Pandanallur style with two short nritta passages presented back to back
The sahitya dealt with a lovelorn maiden pining for Brihadiswara, quite a common subject that takes on an extra dimension when a man is performing it. Just as a theermanam would end with the arudi, a change would come over the dancer. With lightning speed he switched from a masculine dancer to a young woman.
Lakshman, supported ably on the violin by Vijayaraghavan and on the mridangam by his son, Baba Prasad, was like a one-man army, handling timekeeping and singing with great skill. The flexibility of his voice especially in the lower octave was remarkable.
Another masterpiece in the evening's repertoire was the Papanasam Sivan composition in Khamboji raagam, Adi taalam, `Kaana Kann Kodi Vendum.' It was a challenge, for both the musician and the dancer to handle the numerous repetitions, but each time the musical and the visual images brought in a fresh perspective. The artistes stopped because time ran out. This was one programme no one wanted to end.
We did see some of the Dhananjayan family on stage — Dhananjayan performing and Shantha conducting the proceedings, yet it was a disappointment for those of us who expected to see the same threesome comprising the dancing couple and Satyajit like last year. But this time around, dancers Sreelatha Vinod and Adeena Madhu made up the numbers.
Dhananjayan was austere in white and gold with no adornment on his person and perhaps no make up. He does not need any trappings because his expertise and powerful presence are quite enough. He was mesmerising in the bhava-laden pieces he chose to elucidate, turning simple compositions into masterpieces.
Sadashiva Brahmendra's devotional composition in Sama ragam, `Manasa Sancharare,' was enriched by the inclusion of the Krishna-Sudhama episode. Dhananjayan's dramatisation of their re-union was so moving and so real. An unusual Ninda Stuthi `Thanthai Thai Irundaar' by Suddhananda Bharati in Shanmukhapriya drew another explosive performance.
Sreelatha and Adeena, both brightly attired in combinations of pink and green, took centre stage with `Nrityopaharam,' an unusual raagamalika composition penned by Periyaswami Thooran and tuned by Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sharma. Besides the fact that the dancers were precise in the nritta, what was remarkable was that they never got out of their characterisations during the long item. It is these minute details that account for an authentic presentation.
The orchestra lead by Shantha Dhananjayan was one of the strongest seen in recent times.
If it was strong on melody with Murali Parthasarathy (vocal), Kalaiarasan (violin), Sunil Kumar, (flute), Rajesh, tambura, it was stronger on the rhythm with Shantha doing the nattuvangam and K. P. Ramesh Babu playing the mridangam.
The concluding lively Nritta Angaharam in Hindolam ragam, Khanda ekam, by Tirugokarnam Subbarama Iyer performed by the master and his students was truly the crowning glory of the evening.
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