KALAKSHETRA
Bhakti becomes intimate
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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It was superb dancing by a group, well-aligned.
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Photo: Shaju John
STOLE HEARTS WITH SIMPLICITY: Dasaru Kanda Krishna.
A dance-drama based on the verses of Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa, set in pastoral Brindavanam? Were you in for a variety entertainment programme? But "Dasaru Kanda Krishna," a new work choreographed by Leela Samson, with S. Rajaram's score, offered more, as the standing ovation from the packed hall at Kalakshetra proved.
In her introduction, Leela said that the work was — and was not — like Kalakshetra dance-dramas. She was right. The influence of Rukmini Devi was unmistakable. But Leela had relied on her own strengths - adroit use of stage space; democratised group settings where everyone is under focus; skilful patterns forming and re-forming circles, or lines diagonal, wavy and parallel; a sense of choric rhythm; liquid flow; and that indescribable quality we call aesthetic sense, emanating from everything whether costume design or gesture. `Dasaru' had more dance than drama. Even the more dramatic incidents were adapted for group dance than presented as individual expositions or confrontations between characters. Surprisingly, this did not make for uniformity in the depiction. Crispness and brevity prevented monotony, as did the variations in the fluid images. For example, the Kalinga sequence did not rely on straight narration, but on creating images of serpent heads and coils rising and falling in the churning waters. Similarly, Dasavatara became a group experience of vibrant vignettes springing to life even as the bhakta narrates his visions of wonder.
From the opening scene of Yasoda and the gopis showering vatsalya on infant Krishna, to their desolation when Krishna leaves for Mathura, the work avoided excess of any sort. The gopis in orange-yellows, the gopas in blue-purples, were adorned sparingly. The eye could concentrate better on the dance.
The young artistes relied on energy in execution, untouched by exhibitionism. It is a long time since one saw such superb dancing by so large a group, well-aligned, accurate in footwork. No complex rhythms, but the simplicity held attention by well-rehearsed fine-tuning. The abhinaya too relied on a matching suggestivity, attentive to details in every participant. Each scene ending on a rimlit-silhouette freeze anchored the bhava. The influence of old paintings was evident in the entire choreography.
S. Rajaram has composed some highly dramatic music for Kalakshetra. Here he had to follow the gentler lyrical mode to highlight the facets of a single rasa — bhakti. But, as evocatively sung by Sai Shankar, the Khamas viruttam and Dharmavati swaram alone were enough to show that in `Dasaru,' the composer follows his usual method of allowing the melody to seep into the mood of the moment.
Sheejith Krishna's nattuvangam made the dancers confident to do their best. Srinivasan (violin) and Sashidhar (flute) gave seasoned support as always. Anil Kumar's drums (mridangam, pakhawaj, khol and tabla) contributed to the overall elation, peaking in the raas nritya with riotous kolattams, leaps, bounds and swings.
`Dasaru Kanda Krishna' did not have epic sweep or the depth of elemental bhava contrasts. No complex characters, unexpected dilemmas or intricate nritta. But it made bhakti into a communitarian experience, intimate and exhilarating. Very much as the saint poets did in fact.
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