CHENNAI:While a setup of the Kapaleeswarar temple, with birds nesting on it presented a serene sight, the dance performances — devotional pieces dedicated to the god — added to the atmosphere of peace. At the annual five-day festival of Satyam Sivam Sundaram at the temple recently, one could witness a convalescence of artistic creativity, vibrance and beauty.
The Bharathanatyam and Odissi dance recitals, which showcased a blend of the magnificent culture and art forms that the country has, were triumphant in stirring up a spiritual fervour among the audience. The fest saw Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi dances as well. One that stood out was the Odissi performance by Vyshnavie Sainath, a disciple of Sri Durga Charan Ranbir. One could see that the audience were appreciative of the dancer’s exuberance and her poised dance movements, the same way as they would respond to a Bharathanatyam dance performance.
The audience looked with awe at the dancer, whose each movement was pitched to perfection and was ethereal, as she, along with two other dancers, narrated the story of Hiranyakashabu and the mythical love story of Krishna and Radha, among others. The ardent lover of dance that she is, Vyshnavie has always been in the quest of exploring dance forms such as Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Kalaripayattu. Her devotion to the cult has made her learn other dance forms from abroad as well.
The dance festival was organised by Sheela Unnikrishnan, founder director of Sridevi Nrithyalaya.