HYDERABAD: With a mischievous smile and wide, inviting eyes, she held up her hands and folded her fingers as if she was clutching a flute. She gently clapped her hands and beckoned the busy, butter-churning Gopis to lend their ears to her melodious tunes. Little ones, young, and old—all of us were captivated by her charm, feeling like we were in Vrindavan.
This was just one of several recitals in dancer Visishta Dingari’s Bharata Nrityam first solo performance at the Brahma Kumaris Global Peace Auditorium in Gachibowli. Organised by Nrithyodaya, The Academy of Performing Arts, the dancer’s two-hour performance left us in awe.
With her hands on her hips, Visishta gently tapped her feet and entered, allowing us to hear the calming rhythm of her ghungroos in synchrony with the Nattuvangam by her guru, Dr Jayashree Rajagopalan. She deftly presented her adavus (moves) in the opening recital Pushpanjali, sung flawlessly by vocalists Vaishnavi Anand and Aishwarya Harish in Revati Raagam with Adi Taalam.
Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Visishta’s paramaguru, put in years of research to revive the Nritta Karanas of Natya Sastra, which had gone out of practice for nearly 600 years. So, Bharata Nrityam is essentially a powerful blend of this and Bharatanatyam, involving an extended throw of the legs, aerial leaps, serpentine movements of the arms, and swaying of the hips.
After Pushpanjali, Visishta performed Jathiswaram, composed by Leela Gopalan and sung in Hemavati Raagam with Rupakam Taalam. Visishta’s footwork here was lighter than traditional Bharatanatyam footwork. The timing and synchrony between the dancer and musicians Aditya Rajagopalan (mridangam), B Anantaraman (violin), and Kumar Krishnan (flute) was a treat to the senses.
And then we were transported to Vrindavan as Oothukaadu Venkatasubbaiyer’s Raasa Shabdam in praise of Krishna was rendered in Athana Raagam and Adi Taalam. Visishta really embodied the essence of Lord Krishna here, energetically leaping and teasing the Gopis.
The fourth recital was Varnam, composed by Thanmadam Narasimhachari. Sung in Karaharapriya Raagam and Adi Taalam, the verses praise Lord Rama. Among depictions of the yagnam and Rama’s heroic bow-lifting at Janakpuri to win Sita’s hand, Visishta’s skillfully portrayed Shabari, an elderly ascetic woman who was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. The dancer trembles like an aged woman and struggles to balance herself—yet she still manages to gracefully channel Shabari.
For her fifth recital, Visishta donned a charming pink and green saree for Aandal’s Nachiyar Tirumozhi, sung in Ragamalika Raagam and Misra Chapu Taalam. The only female alvar of 12 alvars, Andal was a poetess-saint and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Falling to the ground and looking up with an expression of despair, Visishta perfectly essayed Andal’s desire to unite with Lord Vishnu.
But for Purandaradasa’s Narasimha Devarnama, sung in Simhendramadhyamam Raagam with Khandu Chapu Taalam, Visishta’s expressions turned bitter and she stomped with rage. After all, she was portraying Hiranyakashipu, the asura king who tried to kill his son Prahalad for worshipping Lord Vishnu. However, her depiction of Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avataram was unparalleled, making us tremble.
Our eyes filled with tears during the next recital, Chokhamela’s Abhira Gulaal Abhang, sung in Bhoop Raagam and Abhangi Taalam. Visishta portrayed Chokhamela, a devotee of Lord Panduranga who was not allowed to enter the temple due to his low caste. The concluding recital was an energising Thillana, composed by Leela Gopalan and sung in Amritavarshini Raagam with Sama Taalam. It was amazing to see how Visishta’s movements were still as flawless as ever.
In ancient south Indian temples, you’ve probably seen sculptures of temple dancers striking elegant poses. Well, in this performance, it felt like one of those dancers had directly set foot on stage—it was a magical evening.
Speaking to CE, Visishta said, “Modern education does not give so much importance to the arts and that needs to change. I have a three-year-old son and have already got him to learn the violin. I am lucky to have a guru who has been a beam of light through my journey. As a dancer, I learn new things every single day.”