High calibre of artistry here


The most fascinating feature of a classical art form is that it gives an artist the freedom to pour out his or her imagination within a structured format. With reference to dance, a composition allows dancers to interpret it in a such a way that their experiences are often expressed in the most captivating manner.

These thought ran through my mind as I watched the dancer couple from Bengaluru, Sridhar and Anuradha, this past month.

The duo began on a vibrant note with Nrithyanjali in Abhogi, a composition of Aalur Anantakrishna Sharma, followed by a vachana by Basavanna. It was indeed amazing to watch the synchrony of movements between the two dancers.

The Shanmukapriya raga Lalgudi Jayaraman varnam, ‘Devar Munivar Thozum Padam’ was the main item. The varnam that describes the glory of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala had sequences referring to Draupadi vastraabaranam, Mahabali, Rama and Ahalya. The dancers depicted the episodes beautifully without going into an elaborate and exhaustive story-telling mode. To lend a contemporary touch, Sridhar took up the story of a devotee, whose only goal is to seek the Lord’s benevolence just so that he can receive great wealth from the Lord. He slowly climbs the hill, portraying perhaps an aging man, showing the varied tempos as he ascended the hill. It could also be symbolic of the contemporary man ‘climbing various ladders’ in his quest for material success. Finally, when he comes face to face with the image of the Lord, all his aspirations disappear, and in a superbly emotive manner, the dancer showed the feeling of total surrender or sharanagathi to the Lord............Read more

 

Source web page: The Hindu


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