The performance of Sri Gayatri at Brahma Gana Sabha was good, with a proportionate blend of skill and commitment. Her gripping stage presence, firm footwork and confident approach was evident, when she commenced with a composition of Lingarajurs in the raga Neelambari (Sringara Lahari), a descriptive item, in praise of goddess Raja Rajeswari, the divine consort of Parameshwar, who is worshipped by the celestials and mortals, bringing to the fore, the pinnacle of all the rasas in ‘Sringara’.
What was admirable was the ‘sacredness’ with which, it was brought out. The theermanams were crisp and the attention she gave for hasta viniyogas, during nritta and ahinaya enhanced the standard of her performance, considerably.
The varnam that followed in Charukesi Innum Enmanam of Lalgudi Jayaraman and choreographed by dance maestro Chithra Visweswaran, depicting a maiden’s love and devotion towards Lord Krishna, which was presented with endearing freshness, that contributed to her easy and natural manner on stage. She executed the piece with introspection and ‘improved’ expression.
Needless to say, that the jatis were full of verve and the perfect adavus, with ease and poise was proof enough, of the excellent training, under guru Vijay Madhavan. The musical composition of Lalgudi Gopala Iyer Thamadam Thagadhaiya in ragam Mohana Kalyani and the concluding Maand raga Thillana composed by Lalgudi, highlighted her execution, her total involvement and committment to this art form.
This artist who is currently abroad had given over 200 solo performances across India, Seoul, USA and Dubai. She was a student ambassador, to present lecture demonstrations titled ‘The two sides of the same coin’ illustrating the similarities between ‘traditional arts and modern science’ in New Mexico, USA, and was selected as a ‘professional dancer’ of Indian classical dance form bharatanatyam. “I am certain with committment, devotion and the empowerment of body and mind, towards achieving, which is linked to the dancers’ sense of identity would be my goal, in achieving excellence in bharathanatyam,” she says.