public forum

An evening of Abhinaya

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 23:41:38 -0500

Warm hospitality, an appreciative and discerning audience, lilting music, and enchanting expressivity marked the informal concert organized by Samarpanam and Guru Padmini Chari’s Nritya School of Dance at the Shah residence in Sugarland on a recent Sunday.

The first part of the performance was a soul-stirring musical feast, rendered by visiting artistes from India – Smt. Pustakam Ramaa, a renowned vocalist, ably supported by her talented daughter Deepthi, along with Sri. K.S. Jayaram on the flute, Sri. Janardhana Rao on the mridangam, and Sri. G.S. Pradyumna on the rhythm pad. Aptly for the occasion of Janmashtami, the vocal concert included beautiful renditions of several popular classical songs and bhajans in praise of Lord Krishna.

Following this, senior students of the Nritya School as well as Guru Padmini Chari herself portrayed a range of sentiments and situations through a series of padam-s and javali-s, predominantly emotive pieces that allow the dancer to forge an emotional connection with the audience. The dance concert began with a beautifully coordinated piece, Siddhi Vinayakam, in praise of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, gracefully and nimbly executed by Maya Iyer and Janhavi Sriram. Another devotional piece, in praise of Shakti, the Mother Goddess, was powerfully portrayed by Divya Sabapathy.

These pieces were followed by a segment focused on the deity du jour, Lord Krishna. Krishna was variously portrayed as a playful and somewhat reluctant lover in Chaliye Kunjanamo, by Anasuya Kabad; as a playboy whose tiff with Radha threatens the peace of all Vrindavan, by Nadhi Thekkek, in Rusli Radha; as a playful, troublesome, and precocious child in Chikkavane by Surabi Veeraraghavan; and as an audacious and lovable little prankster by Guru Padmini Chari in Enna naan seidhuvitten. The timeless appeal and various facets of this adorable Hindu deity, were brought out beautifully in the different pieces, and the intimacy of the house concert format allowed the audience to laugh, cry, gasp, and sigh along with the dancers.

The next segment, in a more contemporary vein, focused on the emotional range that arises from affairs of the heart, portrayed from the point of view of the nayika, or heroine. The anger of a woman whose lover has cheated on her was effectively depicted by Aditi Pemmaraju in Indhendhu. Following this was an intensely moving piece, Payyadha, describing the abiding grief of a woman who has been deserted by her lover. This nayika, portrayed with subtlety and controlled intensity by Nadhi Thekkek, recalls the happier days of her courtship, wondering in helpless misery how things could have changed so dramatically. In a lighter vein, Shubha Soman described the indignation of a woman whose lover boasts of his ‘conquest’ of her, in Enthati kulukke. The impatience of a heroine waiting for the arrival of her lover was effectively depicted by Srichandana Janapureddy in Nee matale. Finally, the sarcastic dismissal of an unfaithful hero by an exasperated and angry heroine was portrayed in Sako ninne sneha, by Lavanya Rajagopalan, another dance guru in the Houston area.

The wonderful hosts, Upma and Mukulesh Shah, created the perfect ambience for the audience and artistes alike at their beautiful residence, with excellent stage, seating, and acoustic arrangements, wonderful food, and above all, a sincere and deep appreciation for art. An artistically satisfying evening, one that this writer hopes will be repeated many times over!

- Lavanya Rajagopalan

A feast for the senses

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:17:03 -0600

Growing up in Chennai’s rich cultural and artistic environment, I little realized how immensely fortunate I was to have the choice of attending performances of world-renowned dancers and musicians literally in my backyard. It has been 10 years since I have been in Chennai during the fine arts ‘season’ – December/January – and sorely have I missed the surfeit of top-notch classical music and dance programs jostling with each other for the rasikas’ attention during that magical time. This past weekend, however, Houston recreated for me some of that magical atmosphere, with two separate, absolutely breathtaking performances. I am so glad I was able to attend both of these enthralling presentations, and am energized and inspired for having witnessed them.

Navarasa – Colors of Life

Human emotions make for a compelling narrative, be it on soap operas or on stage. In the context of classical dance, the ‘Navarasas’ or nine emotions are a recurring theme, one that has been interpreted and presented in many different ways through the decades. However, Rathna Kumar took this well-worn concept, blew away the cobwebs, gave it a coat of fresh polish, and presented it in a stunning yet sensitive presentation on Saturday. Juxtaposing contemporary and mythological situations to fully explore the depth of each ‘rasa’ or emotion, Rathna and her Anjali Dance Company delivered a presentation that touched the heartstrings and stirred powerful sentiments.

If that were not enough, the performance included the classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi (both rendered by students of Rathna), and Odissi, Kathak and Mohiniattam, performed by guest artistes Shipra Mehrotra, Sunaina Rao and Anisha Rajesh respectively. Shipra and her colleagues entranced the audience with a beautiful Odissi piece depicting Krishna, Radha and the Gopis, lost in the emotion of Shringaara (love). Sunaina, in her Kathak depiction of Draupadi’s fearful and impassioned pleas in the Kaurava court as the Kaurava brothers try to disrobe her, had the audience crying and cringing for the princess. Anisha’s soulful depiction of the yearning of a devotee for Lord Krishna was masterful and moving. The young dancers of the Anjali Dance Company kept the audience spellbound for two hours with their mature expressions, perfect dancing and superb coordination. I must make special mention of Yarlini Vipulanandan, who moved the audience to tears with her portrayal of a starving orphan, and with equal aplomb, brought smiles to our faces with her depiction of mischievous little Lord Krishna.

In all, a heart-rending – and heart-warming – presentation. Kudos to Rathna for yet another successful production!

Akhilam Madhuram

If Navarasa was a grand and spectacular display, Rama Vaidyanathan’s solo thematic presentation “Akhilam Madhuram” was stark in its simplicity, yet moving in its depth. Depicting Lord Krishna, his various facets, and the various ways in which he is perceived, “Akhilam Madhuram” wove a spell around the audience, transporting them to Brindavan. One could almost hear the rustle of the thulasi leaves, feel the cool breeze, hear the tinkling flow of the Yamuna river. At the close of the performance, I had to shake myself back to reality – so complete was the illusion.

The performance began with the Madhurashtakam, interspersed with a quote from the great saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – “Brindaavanam pari-tyajya paadam ekam na gacchati” – underscoring the all-pervading permanence of the Lord. This concept was beautifully brought out, and reiterated throughout the performance. The next piece, Navarasa Mohana, describes the reactions of various onlookers as young Krishna enters Kamsa’s court with the intention of slaying him. From the shy enamored glances of the young damsels, to the wonder of the villagers, to the fear of the kings who see in him their nemesis, to the mirth of Krishna’s cowherd friends - Rama portrayed the gamut of emotions effortlessly and hauntingly. Her measured and picture-perfect movements were a treat to watch, and her use of subtle body language took abhinaya to a level rarely seen these days.

The performance continued with BrajBhoomi Parikrama – a pilgrimage through the hallowed ground of Brindavan, where Krishna played as a child, teased the Gopis, drove the cows, slayed the serpent Kalinga, dallied with Radha. Portrayed to the accompaniment of beautiful lyrics from Meera, Surdas and Ras Khan, this piece portrayed the devotion of pilgrims on their tour through Brindavan, reliving Krishna’s life and exploits. The performance ended with the joyous Raas, in which Rama managed, through her innovative choreography and lithe movements, to convey singlehandedly the impression of a swirling crowd of graceful Gopis, with Krishna appearing and disappearing in their midst.

Rama’s superb form, sculpted poses and measured movements were matched ably by the gifted orchestral ensemble, all coming together to offer a rich, meditative and delightful performance. Many thanks to Padmini Chari, and Samarpanam, for bringing this to Houston!

Salangai poojai of Silambam students

Mon, 31 May 2010 07:04:18 -0500

Four Silambam students, Ajitha Anand, Prateeka Kodali, Shikha Lakhi and Tejaswini Mohankumar, received their salangai or bells on Saturday May 22nd 2010. All between nine and ten years old, the girls did a wonderful job of showcasing their proficiency in both nritta and abhinaya, and did Silambam proud!

The Salangai (bells worn by a Bharatanatyam dancer) are too often considered just another accessory, like the necklace or waist belt. The salangai is far more significant than common perception, and is in effect a dance student’s sacred license to perform, granted by the Guru when he/she deems the student ready. This is an important milestone in a student’s dance education, and signifies that the student has attained a level of proficiency in the art and is now ready to work towards her Arangetram or solo dance debut.

The four Silambam dancers began their recital with an alarippu set to beats of three. This was followed by two Navasandhi stuthis, small pieces composed by the Tanjore quartet in praise of the Gods of the eight directions with Brahma in the centre. This was followed by Durge Durge, a padam in Ragam Revathi, Talam Adi, a composition of PadmaBhushan Vidwan Madurai N. Krishnan. The dancers ended their recital with a Thillana in Ragam Valaji, Talam Adi, followed by a Mangalam, both compositions of PadmaBhushan Vidwan Madurai Shri N. Krishnan.

The dancers transcended the limitations of their years in the flawless execution of adavus, with perfect anga-shuddha and crisp movements. To perform for 45 minutes requires a level of stamina that is unfair to expect in such young children, but the dancers rose to the occasion and remained unflagging until the end. More notable was the mobility of expression and the understanding with which they portrayed the abhinaya. The dancers’ deep interest and enjoyment of Bharatanatyam was evident throughout the recital.

In all, Ajitha, Shikha, Teju and Prateeka did themselves, their families, and Silambam proud!

Swagatham Krishna - 10th Anniversary Celebrations of Silambam Phoenix

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:44:00 -0500

Silambam, Phoenix, an alliance of Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai kicked off its 10th year celebration with a blissful performance titled “Swagatham Krishna”. The director of Silambam Phoenix, Smt Srimathy Mohan, is a senior disciple of Padmashree Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy of Shree Bharatalaya. Srimathy founded her dance school in 2000 and has staged two major productions with her students - Margam in 2004 and Skandam in 2006 - in Phoenix.

Swagatham Krishna, as the name suggests was an ode to Lord Krishna. Srimathy’s students presented various dances of Krishna starting with the famous Dasavataram by Jayadeva. The neat entrance and exits by the dancers and the crisp expressions and portrayal of the ten incarnations of Vishnu caught the audience’s applause and appreciation.

Houston, we have a problem

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:20:47 -0600

I attended the Annual Day Celebration of Padmini Chari’s Nritya School of Bharatanatyam today, and was amazed at the high standard of the students, the beautiful choreography, and the wonderful stage management. The event was meticulously planned, the younger dancers were sweet and lively, the senior dancers were absolutely stunning, and the affection and sincerity of the students and teacher alike was evident. The final piece, an excerpt from Nritya’s 2008 production ‘Maata Parashakti’ was breathtaking and made me wish I had been there for that show last year (I was away in India at the time).

But much as I enjoyed the program, this entry is not only to describe the event. Rather, I wanted to broadcast my opinion on a matter that has been a sticking point with me since I entered the Houston dance scene. The auditorium at today’s event was jam-packed, with not a single free seat and several people standing in the back. We arrived about 3 minutes past the starting time of the program, and they had started perfectly on time, the audience were all in their seats, and there was not a seat to be had (we ended up stealing a couple of the seats reserved for the performing children). I’m glad, for Padmini and for Nritya, that their event was so well attended. However, I couldn’t help comparing the attendance to another event held a few weeks ago – Alarmel Valli’s stunning performance at the Hobby Center, organized by Samskriti. The tickets cost about the same for both events, both events were in prominent and central venues – but in contrast to today’s event, the audience for Alarmel Valli was sadly emaciated.

I have seen this before, in our own events here at Silambam. Our Annual Day performances never fail to draw big audiences. But invite an outside artiste to perform, and all of a sudden people have something else to do, somewhere else to be.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against students performing to large audiences. I think it is wonderful that friends and family turn out in full strength to support their young dancers. But how are these same young dancers expected to learn an art if they never get to see the great performers on stage? This would be like writing an epic without ever having read a book!

We have a vibrant cultural community in Houston – several organizations vying with each other to bring the best artistes to our city. But the people who work tirelessly to afford us a glimpse of great art are starting to weary of the occupation. It is almost impossible to draw a good-sized crowd in Houston these days, unless several students from the area are involved in the performance.

So here is my appeal – to students of dance, parents, art lovers, and the Indian community at large in Houston. Please, please, give priority to attending dance and music performances, especially if you or your child is a student of art. Don’t make organizers resort to supplying snacks or dinner to draw a crowd. Instill in your children a love for watching good dancing and listening to good music. Inculcate the right attitude in young students – dance is not for the glamour of ‘dressing up’ and performing. Dance is an ancient art form that is an honour to learn, a gift to be cherished and respected. Houston, we can do better than this.