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FINE BHARATANRITYAM

Aishwarya Gopalakrishnan's Bharatanrityam performance at the YGP Auditorium on the Children's day was acknowledged as a fitting performance to suit the occasion for two reasons: (a) Her remarkable performance could equal a matured performer and (b) The choice of items remained yet another highlight of that evening.

Trained rigorously under the tutelage of the Bharatanrityam legend, Dr. Padma Subramaniam, her presentations were sharp and neat. The Aathichoodi Varnam in raga Mohanam remained thecentral piece with complex jatis and apt sancharis to suit the lyrics. Dr. Padma Subramaniam, the proud guruconducted the recital with dignity. Her rendition of the jatis was an added charm to the programme as a whole. Unlike regular dance recitals which have a few renowned padams, Aishwarya's performance stood out for the choice of rare numbers like the Bhajan, a composition of Meenakshi Subramaniam, the mother Dr. Padma Subramaniam.

The crisp Tillana in raga Kannada (not Kanada) composed by the guru herself, mirrored her devotion towards the art form and her quest for perfection.The orchestral ensemble included the guru Dr. Padma Subramanian on the Nattuvangam, Gayatri on vocal, Vijayaraghavan on the mridangam, Balu on the violin and Venkatesan on the flute.

Lakshmi V N