Indian Classical

Rasasvada brought together diverse dance forms

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Rasasvada, organised by Nrityantar, was a topical and unique festival of classical dance that brought together diverse dance forms of both senior and young artistes in solo and group choreographies. In its fourth year, Rasasvada, held at Seva Sadan auditorium, lined up some excellent performances in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and contemporary dance.

A protégé of Mysore Nagaraj, Laxminarayan Jena was all grace in his Kathak performance and brought in two splendid choreographies of his guru. The first was a Dhrupad in dhamaar taal ‘Damru Har kar baaje’ which describes the attributes of Shiva. Jena’s mastery over the dance idiom showed in his presentation of rhythmic intricacies and grammar of Kathak. The next choreography borrowed from the vachana sahitya of Akka Mahadevi. A highly emotive piece, this saw the dancer give expression to the angst of the devotee who asks the swans, peacocks et al about her lost lover, Channamallikarjuna.

A seasoned Bharatanantyam dancer, Kshitija Barve selected abhinaya pieces that fully validated her potential for mime and expression. In the famed Sahana padam, ‘Mogaduchi Pilachedu’, she poured life into a parakiya nayika, who goes to Krishna before she is escorted to her husband’s home. She says, his feet are still her refuge though they, as lovers, are distant like the sun and the lotus. The expression is not one of intimate familiarity but of reverential devotion hence the heroine says ‘nee dhyanamu veruleka neeve daivamuni dalachi’ (Realizing that you are god, I meditate upon you). She did not take the usual route in presenting ‘Madhurashtakam’ with dominance to Vatsalya. She mentioned the magnified form of the Lord and also the episode of the Gita.

Recent Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee and disciple of Aruna Mohanty, Madhulita Mohapatra presented an emotionally charged Odissi abhinaya item, ‘Shoonya Swaroopa’. This expressed the advaitic concept of an all pervading divine spirit . She started with the famous verse from Shwetaswatara Upanishad, ‘Apanipado javano grahita’ that describes the cosmic self and its nature. Madhulita magnetically depicted this omnipresence as seen by the devotee in elements of nature ; yet the devotee still craves for the universal spirit’s physical presence. An enticing nritta sequence followed the description of ‘naada’. The Ektaali Malhar Pallavi by Nrityantar ensemble was graceful and incorporated many variations of Odissi nritta.

 

STEM Dance Kampni of Madhu Nataraj and her team were the crowd favourites and they pulled off a stupendous feat which took heavily from traditional Kathak, Kalaripayattu, Chau and contemporary styles. The five elements Panchabhootas were presented as mandalas in a piece that borrowed mainly from Kathak. ‘Rhapsody’ that paid tribute to the painting of S. G. Vasudev saw agile and articulate dancers in full vibrance, making effective and balanced use of dance space. ‘Sports’ was a light hearted take on the competitive world of sports. Cricket and Kabaddi came alive on stage with all thrill and drama, heightened by slow motion and loud theatrics.

Young Bharatnatyam dancer, Anagha Gauri, disciple and daughter of Anuradha and Shridhar, was the opening dancer on the second day. She presented a neat jatiswaram by Veene Seshanna in Khanda Ata tala. Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s Bowli composition ‘Sree Parvati Parameswarau Vande’ was danced more as an expressive item and the possibilities of pure dance was kept to a minimum.

An elaborately done ‘Sreeramachandra Kripalu’ from ‘Ramacharitmanas’ was the mainstay in Naveen Hegde and Rohini Prabhath’s Kathak peformance. Though this item left much to be desired in abhinaya, the next piece ‘Parampara’ vouched for the young dancers’ aesthetics and technique. Complete with complex laykaari, energetic footwork, thrilling jugalbandis, and two full cycle swift swirls in an extensive teentaal composition, these students and dancers of Abhinava Dance Company of Nirupama and Rajendra, drew heavy applause from the audience.

Veteran Odissi dancer and central Sangeet Natak Academy awardee Aloka Kanungo made a dramatic entry and justified her portrayal of a mischievous Krishna in a group choreography ‘Are re Nandara Sutho’ in which she portrayed the pranks of Krishna but only to be outwitted this time by the gopis.

An alarippu in Chaturashram and Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s ‘Vishamakara kannan’ were the main items performed by Raadha Kalpa Dance Company. Dancers of varying calibre put together a show that was inconsistent in parts.

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