Young and seasoned dancers showcased their talent in the dance programme titled ‘Ananya Nrithyollasa-2’ held at Seva Sadana Hall, Malleshwaram under the banner of Ananya. The one held on Sunday featured one male and two female dancers. All the three dancers stuck to their fine form and gave out the best of their talent and skill in their performances of short duration. They proved to be obedient executants of the Guru’s learning who strives to give highly varnished performances full of aesthetic, artistic and technical brilliance. Which is why, it was refreshing to be a part of such a programme.
Exquisite grace and finish: Lean but strong BN Ananth was in his great elements and his Bhratanatyam performance nothing left to be desired. Here was dancing which set out to prove nothing beyond the fact that it was a pleasurable something one did and not only something one looked at. Ananth with his fairly good experience and praiseworthy expertise regaled the rasikas. The lack of performance and the total absence of stuffiness associated with formal shows was not there, which was so refreshing. His very attractive stage presence and quite chic costume sense were backed by dancing of exquisite grace and finish. Clean shoulder line and neat profile of dance vouched for a performance of quality. The Kharaharapriya varna ‘Saamagaanapriya Shankara’ eulogizing Lord Shiva by mridangist Gurumurthy was the mainstay of his recital. He demonstrated Lord Shiva armed with varied weaponry. His attributes were also sketched. Depiction of the Tandava narthana, Gajaasura mardana, Ardhanareeshwara etc, elicited thunderous applause. His postural appropriateness and accuracy was noteworthy. The charana portion rendered in druta kaala was danced with aplomb and commendable rhythm control. The taut and powerful nritta was marked by melkaala swaras and jathis. Insertion of demanding karanas was fetching. A nayaka reassuring his disturbed nayika was visualised on the basis of a Kannada Javali (Sariye ee reethi ennodathi) set to Lathangi raga. He was ably accompanied by Guru Minal Prabhu (nattuvanga), Balasubramanya Shar-ma (vocal), Vivek (flute) and Gurumurthy (mridanga).
Neat and tidy display: Ragashree Komandur Yiliyavilli, grand daughter of veteran Bharatanatyam Guru Revathi Narasimhan, now settled in USA gave a neat and tidy display of her talent. The ebullience and the sheer joy in her dancing and love for the art swayed the audience. It was inspired dancing with all the sincerity and conviction, enthusiasm and joy can bestow. It also reflected the progress she has been making. Her Devi stuti Amba Shambhavi Chandramowli (ragamalika) was a formidable opener. Her salutation and depiction of Devi was classic. Swaras, jathis and aduvus had a neat juxtaposition and ornamented her rewarding abhinaya. A Tamil composition in praise of the Reclining God Sri Ranganatha (Enninjil pallikondavan, Kalyani) was explored fully well through her communicative abhinaya. The popular Aadi kondaar (Mayamalavagowla) and Kanakadasa’s Baaro Krishnaiaya (ragamalika) were notable for the dancer’s excellent and sensitive enactment. Suffice it to say, Ragashree transformed on the stage through the fluency in the application of skills and nuances and admirable synchronization. The confident and promising dancer enthralled the lovers of dance with her brisk Kadanakutoohala tillana.
Professional elan: A familiar and talented dancer-actress Harini Srikanth performed in the last slot. Petite and blessed with attractive eyes, her professional elan and ease was fully on view along with the graceful flow, typical of Bharatana
tyam. In the Nrithyo-pahara, the word used for the elaboration of varna in her school of dance, Harini reached the acme of her expertise. She paid her obeisance to Lord Ganesha-(Ikshuda-ndadhara, Vitapi raga) and moved on to the delineation of ‘Sri Krishna Kamalanatho’ (Reetigowla). Her portrayal of a few events pertaining to Sri Krishna tale underscored her impressive and suitable flair and grasp of the idiom.