Bharata Kalanjali and Rajesh Fine Arts in association with Naada Inbam, presented Sivadas Rajan’s Bharatanatyam performance at the Ragasudha Hall.
High quality musical support led by Shanta Dhananjayan, with new compositions and some original choreography, made for an interesting evening. Sivadas’ ability to present Margam with confidence and energy, showcased him as another nartaka of promise, from Kalakshetra.
Rajesh Balakrishnan was a rising star when he passed away, and it was befitting that his birthday was commemorated with Sivadas’ presentation. This performance was possible because of a Shiva Saroja Sangeeta Natya scholarship from the U.S.
Starting with an engaging mallari, leading into a Sankirna alarippu, Sivadas established his technical capabilities. Neat lines punctuated with light jumps, bhramaris and precision in the delivery of adavus made his nritta enjoyable.
A new sabdam on Madurai Meenakshi penned by Sivadas, and the sections of the Nrityopaharam in Hamsadhwani on Kartikeya brought out his expressive capabilities. His flexible body lines enhanced the impact of his angika abhinaya. His eyes also worked effectively.
The ‘Kal maari’ kirtanam by Andavan Pichai on Lord Nataraja was danced with relish and displayed many facets as seen in the iconography. The Ashtapadi Kshanamadhuna was portrayed sensitively, with a sincere Krishna in view - no exaggeration in his affirmation of love or need, but an honest telling of emotions.
Nrittangaharam based on a new tillana in Nalinakanti composed by Shalin, the vocalist of the evening, was interesting in its originality. The words of Syamala Dandakam had been cleverly woven into the nine-beat time cycle. The mathematical aspect in the choreography seemed to work in trite patterns, without really exploring a different structure of Khanda Laghu and Dhritam.
New lyrics should follow rules of prosody, not just for convention but also for the musicality of sound; rhythmic compositions in different talas should address the structural dimensions of the new tala; it should be an aesthetic and not an accounting delivery of time structures. Young composers are to be encouraged but they would do well to be validated or mentored by the experienced.
Ramesh Babu on the mridangam and Rijesh on the violin completed the ensemble, which provided appealing music for an enjoyable performance.
