Natya Darshan Day two: Thoughtfully-structured sessions demonstrated how movement and mime convey the subtleties of language and literature

‘Murugiyal - Tri Yatri’ was a performance-oriented creation seminar , with ample mini-performances. Day 2 was each astir spiritual, religious, humanities compositions and the gypsy- story, the Kuravanji, etc. They represented Tamil compositions down the ages.

Three dancers handled the archetypal league — Tattuva Vazhi Payanam (Philosophical Journey). Sathvikaa Shankar’s ‘Tirumandiram’ verses (researched by Prof. Raghuraman, tuned by Vanathi), picked from the instauration and the tantras, were presented arsenic a quiescent devotional offering, on with a well-timed nritta set. Kaushik Champakesan (vocal), Srilakshmi (violin), and Ramshankar Babu (mridangam) necessitate a peculiar notation arsenic Sathvikaa’s accompanists.

Aswini Vishwanath presented Prabhandams — from Shaiva and Vaishnava devotional lit successful Tamil, by Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Arputha Thiruvanthaathi, Tiruvalangadu patikams) and Aandaal (Nachiyar Thirumozhi). She weaved small storylines with a fewer verses — Ammaiyar’s devotion to Shiva successful ‘Kaadalai’ successful a poetic operation of tanam and recitation.  

The haunting Khamas — ‘Karpooram narumo’ — acceptable the signifier for Andaal’s story. Aswini has a alternatively wide and matter-of-fact style, which, erstwhile combined with the layered euphony (vocals by Kaushik, who besides composed the music) and nattuvangam (by Narendra Kumar), added originative imagery. 

The orchestra got leaner with a one-man-standing orchestra — Kaushik, for Lucrezia Maniscotti’s enactment connected the ‘Thiruvarutpa’. While her taste adaptation was complete, determination was  a perceptible consciousness of restraint successful her — for starters, Lucrezia had nary salangai astir her ankles oregon accessories connected her, prevention the rudraksha mala. 

Lucrezia besides had immoderate theatrics up her sleeve. She started with the past lines of the opus ‘Kallaarkkum katravarkkum’. Expanding connected the thought of joyousness and divinity, the tanam led into a travel crossed the seas to spot Shiva. She reaches the temple astatine last, bargains for flowers extracurricular and is awed by the temple gopuram. She runs wrong with anticipation to spot Ganesha and pays her respects to Shiva, arsenic she expounds Ramalinga Swamigal’s connection of cosmopolitan love, equality. Swarams were executed without the salangai oregon percussion, a caller for us. And arsenic the dancer walked back, she draped herself successful a achromatic cloth; successful that instant she turned into ‘Vallalar’, the writer and famed bhakta — theatrics astatine its subtlest.

Lakshmi Ramaswamy, dancer- researcher successful Tamil literature, was fixed 2 insignificant genres to delineate — Thoothu lit dealing with messengers, radical oregon objects, and Pallu lit dealing with farmers successful the ‘Inivu Thedi Payanam’ — Journey for Ultimate Union-segment. Supported by an fantabulous orchestra — Ananthraman (violin), Preethi Sethuraman (vocal), Veda Krishnaram (mridangam) — she presented 2 pieces successful 15 minutes.

The first, ‘Silambu Vidu Thoodhu’ connected Nataraja was written by Prof. Raghuraman, was presented. The PaLLu portion was from the 17^th century ‘Mukkoodar PaLLu’ which was an entertaining conception betwixt 2 wives of a farmer, banter implicit their Ishta devatas, Vishnu and Shiva. The segment, though short, was illuminating.

The evening progressed with Alex Rapheal’s offerings— Thiruvisaipa verse ‘Annamai’ and the Kamakshi viruttam successful a beauteous Bhoopalam, Khanda Chapu. It brought retired the dancer’s fluid abhinaya and the quality of vilamba kaala thattu mettu sequences successful Mohiniattam.

Kasi Aysola’s assurance allowed him arsenic Shiva to tease an aged bhakta astir his household troubles successful a ‘Nondi Chindu’. The entertaining, tongue-in-cheek incidents specified arsenic Parvathi’s choler erstwhile she sees Ganga connected Shiva’s head, Ganapati’s enthusiasm to devour each the nutrient offered to his father, and Muruga’s flirtatious nature, et al, were handled deftly. His basal was an casual Kuchipudi.

Post this the events presented had nary transportation to Tamil Literature.

Manipuri comes from the temples, and is simply a precise subtle creation signifier — successful question and mime. Their manus gestures and expressions are adapted from the ritualistic Lai Haraoba, Ras Leela dances, and Thang Ta, the martial art.

Basu Sinam and Monika Devi, the nimble Manipuri dancers presented the creation drama, ‘Madhura Bhakti Prem Leela’ based connected Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda. Their expressions though deceptively underplayed, were nary little effective. They played retired the ups and downs of the Krishna-Radha emotion story, with airy movements and abhinaya was executed done their look and assemblage arsenic well. They ended with a brisk tandava — ‘Shiva Stuthi’ by Sankaracharya.

Poor time-management by Natya Darshan and Karthik Fine Arts led to Odissi dancer Arushi Mudgal starting 1 hr late. Graceful and uncluttered are words that travel to caput erstwhile 1 watches her dance.

There seems to beryllium a power successful her creator travel — she is pushing her boundaries successful abhinaya. Her ‘Karpooram narumo’ successful Khamas (Nachiyar Thrumozhi, Janani Hamsini) was a delicate equilibrium of bhakti and sringaar. There were moments erstwhile she got past the bhakti to the tender moments soaked successful romance. An antithetic viewpoint. Andaal’s devotion seemed to person been personal, and who is to accidental what a personalised equation with deity should oregon should not be.

The different abhinaya portion was a Birju Maharaj’s portion connected Kausalya’s absorption erstwhile told astir Rama’s vanavas. Her Ganesh Vandana was musically brilliant, a layered kavit-kind of recitation followed by raga alaap accompanied by mridanga bols. The ending was a Pallavi (Gunakari, Triputa, Gopal Chandra Panda), choreographed by her guru Madhavi Mudgal. Arushi’s nritta is ever effortless and spot- on, but felt a spot linear.