Creating a fascinating experience

BANGALORE: A popular teacher, actor, choreographer, composer and a seasoned dancer Dr Sanjay Shantharam of Shiva Priya dance school gave his Bharatanatya performance that original and distinctive flavor, finding his own unique way of combining the old and the new, tradition and innovation.  His feet danced, his  eyes and hands did the talking creating a fascinating experience as he executed with an electrifying display of footwork, body gestures employing the eyes, neck, chest, lips, hands in perfect coordination through a mesmerising dancing spell at the Seva Sadana, Malleshwaram on Tuesday.  He spanned the whole stage as effortlessly and seamlessly as he did his dancing spaces.  He proved that he is a creative genius, who effortlessly combines art and its aesthetic articulation. He saluted Lord Ganesha on the basis of his own composition ‘Gajavadana saraseeruham’ set to Saraswathi raga. The birth and glory of Ganesha were neatly visualised by him. The movements of his body spoke louder than words. An awe inspiring energy, enchanting dance, flawless hand movements and nimble footwork gave a special sheen to his delineation of a Papanasham Shivan’s varna ‘Swami naan undan’ in Nattakuranji raga. The devotion oriented theme on Lord Shiva was unfolded in a sort of ecstatic mood, in which the performer and the viewer seem to flow in the same stream of consciousness.  The 45-minute exposition was a fine example for neat nritta, nrithya and abhinaya. The enactment of Kanakadasa’s ‘Baagilanu teradu’ (mishra Hindola) with Gajendramoksha, Drowpadi maana samrakshana, Prahlada vijaya etc shown as sancharees saw the music and dance meet in such a state of harmony that we were confronted with the sublime. His abhinaya spoke to the soul and required no analysis. The Jayadeva Ashtapadi  came through as a celebration of the joy of dancing and stirring abhinaya. Noted actress and exponent of Bharatanatya Lakshmi Gopalaswamy’s dance recital at Gayana Samaja for Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira during its 12 day annual dance-music festival carried the stamp of a mature artiste for whom Bharatanatya is a personal statement. Impeccably profiled, her dance was both scholarly and assertive. Along with the high conviction in the dance, was an unmistakable sense of sheer joy in her performance creating quivers of aesthetic enjoyment in the audience. Her masterly executions were marked by finesse and chiseled movements. The opening Kaali kauthuvam had some interesting and neatly done sollukattus. Delightful combination of pure and beautiful Salient attributes of different Devis artistically came alive in Lakshmi’s portrayal of ‘Ranjini mala’. The composition set to ragas suffixed with  Ranjini in their names like Ranjini, Sriranjini, Megharanjini and Janaranjini provided her the lyrical base for the portrayal.  The swaras attached to it paved the way for a nimble nritta. Lakshmi made the Kharaharapriya varna (‘Moha mayinena indavela’) bloom afresh, with her breathtaking mastery, excellence of technique and great personal charm.   The irrepressible force of her dance and the rare combination of pure and beautiful was delightful. The lyrical lines had unusual expressiveness and dynamism. Likewise, she etched the picture of a khanditha nayika drawing textual support from Swati Tirunal’s Javali ‘Saaramaina maatalento’ (Behag). Familiar Dasa-pada ‘Odi baarayya’ (Bhairavi; with a Ugabhoga prelude) underscored the vatsalya rasa and a loving mother came to the fore.  The vibrant Khamach tillana was followed by “Maithreem bhajatha”. Himself an accomplished dancer Praveenkumar led the music ensemble with his impeccable nattuvanga. Bhavani Shankar (vocal), Natarajamurthy (violin), Jayaram (flute) and Srihari (mridanga) were the other successful accompanists.