Kavya Ganesh impresses with her nuanced performance
The beauty of the Bharatanatyam margam lies in its structured format. Yet, it allows the artistes to reimagine and present it in their own distinct way. This was evident at the recent performance of Kavya Ganesh, for the HCL series, hosted by the Music Academy.
Soft vocals, mild music from the instruments and graceful poses by the dancer set the tone for a vibrant opening. Kavya began her performance with sage Patanjali's 'Shambhu natanam', portraying the lord of dance. The movements were marked by clarity as she conveyed the essence of the hymn. The music composition was by O.S. Arun.
Kavya next presented the Swarajathi 'Maamohalahiri meerude', a composition by Kadigai Namashivaya Pulavar in raga Khamas. She expressed well the emotional turmoil of a nayika longing for Muruga.
Kavya conveyed the myriad shades of love using the imagery of a lotus. If its beautiful colour, shape and fragrance bring joy to the heart, the flower's blooming at sunrise and wilting during sunset could be compared to a lovelorn nayika. The transition in mood in this sequence — from unrestrained love to coyness — was depicted in a nuanced manner. Similarly, Kavya captured the emotions well in the anupallavi where the heroine is in a dilemma, whether to reach out to her lord or not.
The jathis, composed by Ramamoorthy Sri Ganesh, stood out with precise footwork. However, a little more grace would further enhance the impact.
The Annamacharya kriti 'Palumaru' in Chakravakam, again, portrayed a sakhi urging goddess Alamelumanga to let go of her anger and indifference towards the lord. Kavya did justice to the piece. However, the the nayika-sakhi interaction in two consecutive compositions was a trifle weary.
The dancer next took up the thumri, 'Na kadamb na kunj', which depicts Radha waking up from a dream and searching for Krishna. In her longing, she begins to identify and imagine herself as Krishna, before realising that both Radha and Krishna are one and the same. Kavya beautifully conveyed this transition from Radha to Krishna with sensitivity.
The Amritavarshini raga tillana, composed by Satish Venkatesh, with verses from the Valmiki Ramayanam, was the concluding piece. The depiction of monsoon and the joys associated with it lent vibrancy of the piece.
Janani Hamsini's singing was soulful and in synchrony with the dance. Kiran Pai on the mridangam, Sujith Naik on the flute, T.V. Sukanya on the violin and Hemanth on the nattuvangam provided good support.
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