HAMSADHWANI
Clear mudras, brisk movements
V.V.RAMANI
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Sudharma sailed through the recital with a quiet competence but Radica Giri needs to bring bhava to her abhinaya.
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COMPETENT: Sudharma.
All of 12, yet a maturity far beyond her age was what Sudharma and her dance were all about. In her performance for the Hamsadhwani NRI festival series, she sailed through the recital with a quiet competence.
The programme commenced with the slokam, `Agajanana' followed by a tisra ekatala alarippu. The Papanasam Sivan varnam, `Swamy Naan Undhan Adimai' was the central piece of the recital. This varnam of a devotee's plea to Lord Siva to bestow on him the vision of the dancing feet in Chitrambalam can be interpreted at varied levels, literal or philosophical, depending on the dancer's age and experience.
Sudharma delineated the sancharis touching upon the lyrical meanings. Her teermanams were crisp and the movements and mudras clear. For the line, `Nadanamadum,' various dance poses of Lord Nataraja were captured beautifully.
`Paahimam Sri Raja Rajeswari,' a composition of Maha Vaidyanatha Aiyar was not the right choice for a young dancer. The literal delineation did not hold the audience interest. `Vishamakkara Kannan,' in Chenchuruti, sparkled with the girl's abinaya skills coming to the fore.
The pranks of Krishna, breaking the mud pot, making the girls cry were portrayed with brisk movements and character changes. This proves the point that the success of a performance also owes a great deal to the choice of items appropriate to the dancer's age. The bubbly spirit continued in the mandu tillana.
Radica Giri.
The dance performance was done to recorded music. The high quality of recording and the good sound system effectively supported the dancer, so that at no point did one miss a live orchestra. With consistent effort, this student of A. Lakshman has the potential to become a leading dancer in the future.
The Orchestral team of A. Lakshman (nattuvangam), A.S. Murali (vocal), B.Muthu Kumar (flute) and Kesavan (mridangam) with their powerful musical support set the tone for the dance recital by Radica Giri.
A brief pushpanjali by Balamurali Krishna was followed by the classic varnam of the Thanjavur quartet `Sakhiye Indha Velaiyil.' This varnam has a timeless appeal and fabulous musical structure keeps the viewer engrossed.
Radica delineated this varnam at a leisurely pace. The theermanams were neatly executed and the unhurried speed of the jathis gave scope for graceful movements. The sancharis depicting the procession scene were engrossing.
`Pahimam Sri Raja Raja Rajeswari,' again, is more suited for vocal concerts, for besides pretty poses of Devi and little dramatic action in the `Chanda Munda' lines there is very little scope for abhinaya. Radica needs to concentrate on internalising the meanings of the songs and bring bhava to her abhinaya for the performance to rise above the level of painting a pretty picture.
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