Chitra Lakshumanan explores the diversity in the Bharatanatyam repertoire

The solo Bharatanatyam recital of Chitra Lakshumanan, disciple of Srekala Bharath, was presented arsenic portion of the HCL Concert Series astatine The Music Academy. Chitra commenced her show with a shlokam connected Muruga, followed by the Shadakshara Kouthuvam successful raga Shanmukhapriya and Rupaka tala, a creation by Madurai R. Muralidaran. Adorned successful a vibrant greenish and reddish costume, the dancer showcased precise manus movements and crisp footwork, which lent grace and stableness to the performance.

The adjacent portion successful the recital was Mandooka Shabdam successful Ragamalika and Misra Chapu, a creation of the Tanjore Quartet. The portion narrates the communicative of a frog seeking divine involution and salvation. Chitra’s delicate mentation drew the assemblage into the essence of the story. The choreography for this portion was by K. G. Sarasa, guru of Srekala Bharath.

The centrepiece of the recital was the Swarajathi ‘E Mayaladira’ successful raga Huseni, acceptable to Rupaka tala, a creation by Ponniah Pillai of the Tanjore Quartet. The portion explored the anguish of a heroine troubled by her beloved’s changing behaviour and suspected disloyalty. Chitra conveyed the heroine’s emotions of love, doubt, and heartbreak with finesse done expressive abhinaya and controlled movements, maintaining a good equilibrium betwixt nritta and communicative expression.

The 2nd fractional of the recital featured the padam successful tamil ‘Teruvil varano, ennai shatre tirumbip-parano’, a creation by Muthu Thandavar successful raga Khamas, acceptable to Rupaka tala. The portion portrays a lovelorn devotee awaiting the procession of Lord Nataraja, yearning for a fleeting glimpse from the deity to easiness her longing. Chitra sustained the momentum of the recital, bringing grace and affectional resonance to the presentation.

This was followed by the Javali ‘Parulannamata’, a creation by Dharmapuri Subbarayar successful raga Kaapi and Rupaka tala. Written from the position of a nayika addressing her beloved, the creation is simply a heartfelt plea for spot and affection.

The recital concluded with a thillana successful raga Paras, acceptable to Adi tala, a creation by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar. This was followed by an abhang, composed by Bhanu Dasa, which described the enchanting melody of Krishna’s flute resonating done Vrindavan and astir the mighty Govardhana mountain. The creation depicted the enchanting effect of Krishna’s flute connected each beings, including the dancing peacock reminiscent of Krishna himself. Chitra conveyed the devotional essence of the portion done spirited movements and evocative storytelling, bringing the recital to a close. The thoughtfully curated repertoire offered a pleasing assortment of themes, emotions, and rhythmic textures, ensuring that the recital remained engaging passim and ne'er felt drawn retired for the audience.

The orchestra for the evening featured Preethy Mahesh connected vocals, Sakthivel Muruganandam connected the mridangam, and T. V. Sukanya connected the violin. The choreography and nattuvangam were by Srekala Bharath, portion the make-up was by Saraswathi.