Sound in abhinaya and expression
B. M. SUNDARAM
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Shilpa Uthappa did full justice to both nritta and nritya.
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SHILPA UTHAPPA PHOTO: M. VEDHAN.
Shilpa Uthappa, disciple of Bangalore Padmini Ramachandran, and winner of the MGR prize in the Spirit of Youth Festival, presented a dance performance at the Music Academy on the inaugural day.
Commencing with Pushpanjali, Shilpa did a Mallari, which was announced as `traditional.' Mallari was never presented in the temple or on stage as a dance until the mid-1950s. It was exclusively meant for the nagaswaram and Vaitheesvarankovil Muthuswami Pillai was the one who ushered it into the dance stage.
The Mallari presented by Shilpa was in Tisra Triputa tala. Tisra gati was not satisfying, though the dancer's adavus were crisp. This was followed by a varnam in Kalyani — "Adum Deivam," in praise of Lord Nataraja, which ended in the ettugada Sahitya — and "Omkara Pranavapporule" — indicating the tusker-faced deity. Shilpa did full justice both to nritta and nritya.
A `jati,' according to grammar, should be in two avarttas (with three speeds of tempo) ending with a `kuraippu.'
Many nattuvanars of the present times, perhaps to show their expertise, go on adding rythmic solfeggio in different gatis.
Employing many gatis may be a welcome feature, but not with syllables that are not in the original jati; they should not be too long that only produce ennui not only to the dancer but also to the audience.
Almost every jati handled by Shilpa was in this pattern and she acquitted herself in an excellent manner. The next number was the javali, "Apadooruku," in Khamas, which gave much scope to the dancer to mime. Shilpa used the opportunity really well.
`Sanchari' in abhinaya should be taken up for a line only after a song begins.
Doing sancharis even before the song is heard appears awkward and the practice is to be eschewed.
The mudra of the composer, Tiruppanandal Pattabhiramayya, is "Talavanesa" and this should have been clearly uttered by the vocalist, who instead sang `Taloneesa.' Kanakadasa's Devarnama, the next item, was neatly presented by Shilpa. She possesses all the features required for a good dancer and has a bright future.
She should concentrate more on "Anga Suddham" — symmetry of limbs.
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