For those entering Sri Krishna Gana Sabha on the penultimate day of the Yagnaraman July fest, the evening promised a curious variety. In the course of two hours, five distinct dance styles- Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali and Vilasini Natyam- were performed sequentially. Generally, one would be wary of a mixed bag evening of this kind but the clean lines and firm footwork of Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar, who began the evening with a swarapooja dedicated to Ganesha, calmed even the possible dissenters. Through the course of the jatis and the devi stuti that followed, Rukmini traversed the length and breadth of the stage maintaining fine lines along with her sound nritta. An impeccable recording of T. Srivatsa singing the encomium written for Ganesha accompanied Rukmini for the first piece followed by the devi stuti- 'Roopam Dehi', composed by Rajkumar Bharathi.
Rukmini was followed by Kathak exponent Roopa Ravindran who performed a narrative piece on Shiva and Parvati. After the clarity of technique showcased by Rukmini, Roopa's recital, which was her own choreography, bordered on being theatrical. While expression is definitely her forte, one searched for a balance between abhinaya and footwork in the recital. The choice of music for the piece was also not compelling.
At this point, as the sceptics in the audience began to doubt the format of the evening, an elegantly dressed Prabal Gupta presented a Kathakali performance depicting an excerpt from Narakasuravadam. Definitely the high point of the evening, Prabal's rendition of Guru Sadhanam Balakrishnan's choreography was riveting to say the least. A fine balance was the reason Prabal came across so well on stage. Technically sound, he displayed a sense of control and command over the style in his arm movements and footwork. But, what captivated the audience was the manner in which he used his facial muscles to dramatise the story. Prabal's transformation from Nakratundi to Lalitha and back to Nakratundi was gripping. His timing is certainly his strong point, because both subtlety and drama occupied their respective positions during his recital.
It was overwhelming, therefore, to watch Prabal's performance and Vandana Supriya's Megh Pallavi was the perfect successor after Prabal. With her foundation in Odissi from Nrityagram, Vandana offered a simple, yet beautiful interpretation of Raga Megh in her recital. There was a certain sense of innocence in her performance but what was most charming about Vandana's recital is the finesse with which she brought out the idiom of Odissi, especially in such a simple composition.
The announcement that there was going to be a Vilasini Natyam presentation had already piqued the curiosity of the audience. In the interim after Vandana's performance, Prabal Gupta was seen dashing towards the audience to find a seat to watch Purva Dhanashree perform. Purva's confidence as a dancer is something that strikes you as you watch her perform. Her confidence was also the perfect companion to Vilasini natyam, which is a form that is increasingly gaining new ground today. For the eye well-versed with the language of Bharatanatyam, the vocabulary presented by Vilasini Natyam appears jarring at first, but gradually, the beauty of the simple movements of the arm and the torso write their own distinct language. The style was also brought out more discernibly during the footwork-heavy jatiswaram and the mayyadavus.
After all the five forms were showcased, the organisers decided to do a re-run of some of the styles with Rukmini, Roopa and Vandana performing some more compositions one after the other. The mixed bag, at this point, was bit too full. The evening ended with a contemporary dance recital by Rukmini who danced to Vande Mataram. As a contemporary dancer, while Rukmini is certainly well-trained, the piece itself did not quite fit in with the rest.
Ultimately,'Colours of India' negotiated its way through the wide array of dance styles only because each individual dancer shouldered the responsibility for his or her respective style. It was a bit like a relay race which was engaging, yet bordering on tiresome.
