Quiet and delicate

POORVA DHANASHRI, last year's winner of the MGR award in the youth dancer's category for the Spirit of Youth festival of the Music Academy performed on the opening night of the annual conference of the Academy on December 15. Quietitude and delicacy marked Poorva Dhanashri's performance. Opening with a Mishra Triputa alaripu, Poorva Dhanashri set the tone of the evening's sthayi (prevailing mood) which was delicacy. The Kalapramana was slow. It seemed too slow at places. Poorva Dhanashri took her time for each movement allowing for it to be savoured.

The Mishra Triputa Alaripu was conducted crisply by her guru, Radhika Shurjit. The improvisations on the basic tala were interesting and Poorva interpreted them through movement with grace and confidence. There was a predominance of graceful gesticulation in the sphere of Natyadharmi. Stylisation was implicit and artistic.

The Latangi Keertanam of Ambujam Krishna could have been a little faster since the varnam which came later was in slower tempo. There could have been some vigour in the presentation of the Keertanam which talks about the dance of Krishna. The varnam, `Sakhiye inda velaiyil' was given a totally different treatment by Radhika. The Rajagopala addressed to in the varnam is at Mannargudi and the sancharis depicted were of the King cowherd and the pearl float that takes place there. Poorva Dhanashri acquitted herself very well in the varnam though the stamping of the feet was not heard at all. The foot work was not eloquent. The stances were too many and too soft in delineation and distracted from the heaviness of the Varnam.

Nattuvangam by Radhika Shurjit was crisp but on the softer side as were her announcements. Jayanthi Mohan who sang extremely well concentrated on the raga lakshana rather than Bhava which could have facilitated the dancer better. The racy lyric of `Adum padane' and the heavy varnam were treated in the same mode without modulations. Mridangam by Vijayaraghavan was good. He tried interesting experiments such as giving bird call effects, on his mridangam. T. K. Padmanabhan on the violin and Muthukumar on the flute played with usual correctness and complimented the dance.

A word must be mentioned about the Aharya. The pale yellow background placed the dancer at a disadvantage. Such pale backgrounds require clear lighting to highlight the dancer. Poorva Dhanashri's costume was stark white with a black fan. The lack of ornamentation on the pyjama made her look much more pale.

V. R. DEVIKA

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