Lively performances

IN THE concluding week of the dance festival at Kartik Fine Arts, K. J. Sarasa's students, Lavanya Ananth and Lavanya Sivakumar Sankar, gave lively performances, marked with spirit and enthusiasm. Lavanya Ananth, one of the senior disciples has a very pleasing personality, adding beauty to her stage presence. Her tall, slim figure yields itself to any of the sculpturesque poses or the execution of a tough adavu with equal ease and grace. Her footwork is solid and vibrated with clarity, accuracy and precision. With more concentration on the details of abhinaya, Lavanya Ananth is bound to emerge as a dancer with fine merit.

Sarasa, with her fine grip on the nuances of vocal music, has set the dance structure for the Swarajati - Maa Moha Lahiri, (of Kadigai Namasivaya Pulavar), addressed to Lord Muruga enshrined at Tirukazhukkundram, by the lady in love, who is awaiting His company. The dance composition blended very well with the musical set-up (composed by Sri Subbarama Dikshitar and not by Muthuswami Dikshitar - as announced), creating moments of joy. Young Rajalakshmi, daughter and disciple of Sarasa, proved her skill in Nattuvangam promising a safe continuation of this artistic tradition, that has, over the past several years, assumed a thoroughness and clarity in approach, in the spheres of both nritta and abhinaya.

While the pure dance sections were handled efficiently by the dancer, the gestural communication seemed to lack depth. In a varnam, the dancer has to maintain the main mood (Sthaayi Bhava), by expressing and touching upon it as and when necessary. Lavanya Ananth deviated from the central focus, by casting a pleasant look at intervals, which was not in keeping with the mood of love-agony, and a state of philosophical approach at the end, as expressed in the song by the heroine. It is essential for the dancer to take care of such aspects of deep value to sharpen her talent for abhinaya.

Sarasa usually takes care to set the arudis in a very lively and catchy manner. A similar sparkling firework, like arudi, was set at the end of the charana swaras. Earlier the Ettukkadai swara - Da, Da - with energetic technical patterns were charged with vigour and joy of rhythm. Chaliye Kunjanamu of Sri Swati Tirunal, and a short version of Tillana, were the concluding numbers in Lavanya Ananth's recital. While Dhananjayan (Mridangam) gave excellent support, Shobhana (Vocal) failed to impress. Sankaranarayanan (Flute) and Sitarama Sharma (Violin) contributed to the success of the concert.

Lavanya Sivakumar Sankar from Coimbatore has the enthusiasm and energy to portray the different sections of this performing art. Her understanding of the basic requisites of this dance-form is alright; but the execution of the same, especially the nritta- oriented passages, have to improve much more to attain perfection. Lavanya requires to firm up her posture in order to achieve a perfect balance, and to avoid swaying of the body. The adavu executions need to be completed in full to exhibit precision.

In abhinaya, Lavanya has to work further. She must sustain the mood of the song. Looking chic and coming with a display of fleeting emotions, like a word to word translation are not suitable components of abhinaya technique. Lavanya, who has the skill, can improve with better understanding.

After the invocatory number, Lavanya chose to present a lively, descriptive verse on the dance of Lord Krishna (Kaalinga Narthana Prabhu) of Oothukkadu. She continued with the major varnam, Mohamana in Bhairavi, on the deity of Tiruvarur. This manifestation of Lord Siva is often depicted in the dance scene with the form of Nataraja, as presented by this young dancer also. A pleasant note was to be seen in the presentation of this varnam, which in fact deals with the love of the soul for the Supreme. Description of the mundane agony and later the search of the soul for the Ultimate Bliss, both have to be shown tactfully; while extending the abhinaya technique for the Pallavi and Anupallavi lines. There seemed to be some indecision in translating the fourth charanaswara sahitya. With further guidance of her teacher, Lavanya can strengthen these areas.

In the lilting Javali, Apadooruku, (composed by Tirupanandal Pattabhiramayya and not Pattabhirama Iyer, as announced) Lavanya portrayed with appropriate gestures, the agony of the Nayika, who laments about her receiving bad reputation, due to her flirtations with her beloved.

The same orchestra participated under the leadership of K. J. Sarasa.

NANDINI RAMANI

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