Polished nritta
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Mavin Khoo's adavus were neat but his abhinaya was ineffective.
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MAVIN KHOO
Wearing a reddish-orange costume, head-shaven Mavin Khoo looked, at times, like a dancing monk. After a complex Mallari, Mavin described the effulgent Siva, Lord of Chidambaram, in "Ananda Natana Prakasham."
In the varnam "Chala Mela" in Nattakurinji, as in the Brindavana Saranga tillana, Mavin's nritta was dynamic and polished. The clean lines of his adavus, as also the manner in which he fully extended his limbs without any evident strain, were striking. The utplavana-s or leaps, within jatis, were given an added beauty by his ability to rise high above the ground.
However, Mavin executed the basic position of Bharatanatyam, the aayata mandalam, throughout the programme with a wide gap between the two out-turned feet. The dancer seems to have done this consciously, for his own reasons. But is the araimandi not central to Bharatanatyam? While dancing to verses from the "Krishna Karnamritam," influences from other dance traditions were visible. "Taamarasaaksha," in an attenuated Yadukula Kambodi, is a difficult piece to perform. Its success depends on the dancer's ability to establish the sthayi bhava, and remain in character as the compassionate sakhi, here messenger, while describing the nayika's pangs of separation. Mavin's abhinaya was ineffective in bringing distinctly to life the lotus-eyed nayaka, the concerned messenger, and the weeping nayika.
Guru Adyar Lakshman blessed Mavin with his presence — he sang and wielded the nattuvangam. He led the musicians, Rama Rao (vocal), Baba Prasad on the mridangam and Ananthakrishnan on the violin, in providing strong support.
TULSI BADRINATH
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