KOCHI: After a long lull induced by the pandemic, the koothambalam at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan resonated with the sound of chilankas on Wednesday, when artists from the Khanak Institute of Performing Arts began their performance. Monisa Nayak, director of the institute and Kathak danseuse and her six students conducted the performance as part of the Chilanka Dance Festival 2021 held in adherence to Covid protocol.
Wearing ghagra, choli and veils, the six dancers — Rukhmini Narayanan, Kavya MS, Malu S Lal, Soumya Sara Thomas, Prathibha Raj MR and Malavika SS — performed five dance pieces in the hour-long performance. The tales of Radha and Krishna were delivered beautifully with swift moves.
The Thiruvananthapuram-based dancers commenced the evening with a kavit paran, an invocation to Lord Krishna. This was followed by drutlaya that highlighted the nuances of kathak dance moves. The dancers’ synchronised movements reciprocating the syllables rendered in Hindustani music through their anklet belts showcased the prowess of Monisa’s choreography. Followed by Thumri and Tarana that depicted the shades of Jaipur Gharana - complex, powerful footwork and multiple spins, the event was an insight into classical kathak dance. Concluding their performances with a bhajan from Sri Ram Charith by Tulsi Das, the dancers spined to the rhythm of tabla beats.
Rukhmini, one of the performers and the mother of a one-year-old, is thrilled to be back on stage after a year of the pandemic. “It was also a reminder to me that motherhood or career cannot stand in the way of my passion for art. I felt confident being up on the stage,” she says.
However, for their teacher, Monisa, the performance was the fruit of over a year of preparations. “I was in Delhi and managed to teach my students here online. When the government eased the restrictions, I flew to our institute in the capital city and worked with my students to lay out the Chilanka festival,” she says.
Kavya, another performer and a techie by profession are happy that the performance helped her get out of the mundane lifestyle. “Work from home has made our machines. I was stressed out because I had no creative outlets. This performance helped all of us to get relaxed and feel positive in these bad times,” she says. The event was live-streamed on Vylopilli Samskrithi Bhavan’s Facebook page.