One of the important staples of the Bengaluru’s cultural scenario for musicians, dancers and connoisseurs for the past few years, Ananya’s Nrithya Neerajana has had quite a good number of dance performances enjoyed by avid rasikas. Dr R V Raghavendra and his team comprising of young dancers deserve to be commended for the way it was planned and executed. The Nrithya Neerajana-4 was held on last Saturday and Sunday at the Seva Sadana auditorium. The converging energies of both audience and dancers in an intimate atmosphere was remarkable.
Seasoned and highly sensitive exponent of Bharatanatya, Sathyanarayana Raju was felicitated with Ananya Puraskara during the conclusion.
Excellent group choreography
The inaugural dance recital was presented by the superior graded disciples of Sathyanarayana Raju. By now, a well established quartet, Chaturgamini, comprising of Adithi Sadashiva, Gowri Sagar, Prithvi Sharma and Anju Nair did proud to their Guru in graphically sketching the glory of Goddess Saraswathi on the basis of Saaramathi Saraswathi Vani. Prefaced by a shloka, Saraswathi namasthubhyam, a vivid imagery of Devi drawn individually and in concert by the young dancers enthralled the rasikas. The excellent group choreography won instant approval of the audience.
Shishir as Krishna and Nikitha, Prithivi and Anju danced with gay abandon to interpret the most familiar Krishna Naamaavali in the varna format. Gopa Gopeeshwaro (Reetigowla) was filled with attractive nritta, nrithya and abhinaya. Sequences drawn from the Krishna-tale and the Geetopadesha were reenacted in quick change overs.
Animated Bharatanatya
Anuradha Vikranth’s Bharatanatya was vigorous and animated right from the beginning. Sans hyped or exaggerated histrionics, the dancer gave out her best in all the aspects of her dance form. Gifted with communicative mukhijas and eyes, Anuradha covered the entire stage in alluring geometrical patterns. There was feminine grace and lyricism too. She began with a Kannada varna Neela megha Shama set to ragamalika wove around Krishna-theme and focusing on a virahothkhanditha nayika. I would accord full marks to her dance which caught the trembling sentiments of the nayika. Ninna raasa leeleya neneyutha---the heroine reminiscing the raasa leela of Krishna gets lost into that mood. This was artistically shown by her. Suffice it to say, Anuradha visualized with aplomb the taut nritta(to the accompaniment of taana) attached to the delineation. She was also at home in capturing the essence of Navarasas. The charana part Ananda sukhava needi baareya in a lively pace was crisp.
In the portrayal of a Dasara pada Tamboori meetidava (Sindhubhairavi) the artiste was totally engrossed. One liked to watch her keeping intact the vaachikaabhinaya throughout her recital. She was ably supported by Suryanarayanarao (nattuvanga), Balasubra-manyasharma (vocal), Narasimhamurthy(flute) and Gurumurthy(mridanga).
Grand premier of Yagyaseni
The premier of Yagyaseni (another name of Draupadi), a solo presentation of a work choreographed by young, talented, ambitious and zealous Bharatanatya dancer Gayathri Sriram of Singapore was a grand success and won the approval of the packed rasikas. Inspiringly backed up by Guru Minal Prabhu(this year’s winner of the Karnataka Sangeetha Nrithya Academy award on nattuvanga), Sharma (music and vocal), Gurumurthy(mridanga) and Jayaram (flute), Gayathri explored the changing emotional highs and lows of a woman. With Draupadi as the pivotal character the dance visualisation of her saga full of travails and trauma, her notions about the Pandavas and their traits and behaviour et al, in the form of a dialogue between her and Krishna, carried all the feel for poetry and passion. A deep seated serenity even in the tortured moments, sensitivity and a consciousness of woman’s vulnerability and generosity which can be exploited could be sensed throughout in the execution of the piece. With her beautifully balanced body, Gayathri moved with the centered poise and grace and also demonstrated the capacity for deep inner involvement which however never lost control. Delightful in the portrayal and aided by the voiceovers (Krishna and Draupadi dialogue) the rendition made the audience glued to their seats. The presentation began with an Agni Jathi and interspersed with Pavan Verma’s sonnets. There was no dull moment. It ended with a mangala to Yagyaseni and Krishna.
Proficient male dancer
Gliding along in stately dignity, leaping, moving in delight-it was an interplay of a variety of attitudes and movement when Guru Sathyanarayana Raju performed and brought down the curtains on Nrithya Neerajana-4. Almost obsessively orthodox and pure, never straying beyond the traditional format, the proficient male dancer sent the lovers of dance into raptures.
His clean movements and scrupulously correct adavus were laced with the added advantage of a perfect rhythmic sense, thanks to his unflinching commitment and dedication to the dance. With an effective support lent by Shakunthala Prabhath(nattuvanga), Karthik Hebbar(vocal), Narasimhamurthy(flute) and Lingaraju(mridanga), Sathyanarayanaraju the Ashtaragamalikavarna (Saami ninnekori) received an extensive treatment, both in the rhythmic and mimetic passages.
The nritta was full of verve and tautness. His abhinaya for Ee teeruga(Bhadrachala Ramadasa, depiction of Gajendramoksha, Shabari moksha) was par excellent. The concluding Ratipatipriya tillana was of high class.