Posted on 15th April 2002
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CULTURAL EXCHANGE |
Most people spend their vacations at hill-stations and beaches. What does Emi Ogawa Mayuri, a Japanese do? Well, she comes to India to learn Bharatanatyam. Three months every year she undergoes rigorous training under Natyacharya Udupi Laxminarayan. The rest of the nine months is devoted to hard practice in her hometown. This had been her schedule for the last few years. Her recent performance at Bharat Kalachar showed the results of her sincerity and hard work. Commencing with a Pushpanjali, she glided to the Khanda Alarippu. Mysore Vasudachar's Brochevarevarura (Khamas) was the highlight of the performance with its decorative sanchari-s depicted in the form of Seeta Kalyanam and Gajendra Moksham. The unique feature of this item was the sancharis for the Chittaswara. It also saw the keyboard artiste Venkatasubramanian at his best. The Atana Varnam Varum yadavabala, was the central piece of the performance. Crisp jatis were rendered with dignity in the inimitable Ellappa Mudaliar tradition. Guru Udupi Laxminarayan's Nattuvangam combining all five jaatis was a fine demonstration of his virtuosity and mastery over this dance form. His daughter Madhumati also did the Nattuvangam. The entire programme revolved around the bhakti bhava. Emi's expressive abhinaya, coupled with her equally powerful nritta within the strict boundaries of tradition impressed the audience. Mridangist Shaktivel's crisp jatis and farans, and the manner in which he filled up the pauses with his magical fingers need special mention here. The second half of the programme had the popular 'Venkatachala Nilayam wherein both Emi and the vocalist Nagamani were at their best. In this piece Emi beautifully and picturesquely took the audience to Tirumala - the famous shrine of Lord Balaji. Violinst Nagaraju's brief accounts of each raga created the necessary atmosphere. In Sakti Tandavam (Hamsadhwani), Emi's facial expressions showed her maturity. She concluded with the Kadanakutuhalam Tillana in fine style. Balanced performance Preethi Athreya recently performed at the Raja Annamalai Mandram, Chennai under the auspices of Tamizh Isai Sangam. She started brightly with Ramalinga Adigalar's Petratai immediately followed by the Tisra Alarippu. The Varnam (Nrityopaharam) is a composite item that brings afore the dancer's ability to handle brisk jatis and fine facial expressions. Preethi's portrayal of the varnam Swami nan undan adimai (Natakurinji) was a fine demonstration of her understanding of these concepts. The gripping nattuvangam by the doyen guru Shanta Dhananjayan, well supported by young percussionist Ramesh Babu was a bonus to the audience. Kalaiarasan (Violin) and Sunil Kumar (Flute) played their parts with a level head and without any overlaps. In the second half of the show, an excerpt from Gopalkrishna Bharati's well-known opera Nandanar Charitram, and a ninda stuti, Edukkittanai modi were handled with refinement. The vocalist Neela gave solid support. Vividness and Intensity A flexible body coupled with natural grace, a mobile face and neat footwork were the hallmark of Lakshmi Parthasarathy Atreya's performance at Chennai under the auspices of Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. The opening piece, Mallari (Gambheeranata, Khanda jati Ata tala) itself set the mood for the performance. Lakshmi danced it with great intensity and this mirrored her confidence. The Andal Kavittam was also presented with ease and efficiency, and she succeeded in covering the whole stage instead of pinning herself to one particular place. The Charukesi Varnam Innum en manam ariyadavar remained the centre piece, and was executed with verve and agility, keeping the audience spellbound. Purandaradasa's Chikkavane evano brought out the bhava of the lyrics effectively. The Dhanasri Tillana of Swati Tirunal was a real visual treat again with neat adavus. Visweswaran sang soulfully, while Sukanya wielded the cymbals (Nattuvangam). Jagdish Janardhan (Mridangam) and Veeramani (Flute) did a good job. Lakshmi was at her best throughout the performance. The jati sequences in the Varnam were very demanding. Kudos to Lakshmi's guru Chitra Visweswaran for the grand choreography. Lakshmi V N |
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Posted on 15th April 2002 |
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