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Interesting dance package
Aswathy Nair... calm and dignified.
ASWATHY V. NAIR'S Bharatanatyam presentation at the Narada Gana Sabha was titled ``Sangamam,'' a special dance feature. The title promised a different experience but what one witnessed was a typical ``margam'' presentation with invocatory piece, a long varnam, abhinaya pieces and a tillana. One kept wondering about the title through the programme.
But what was presented was really interesting. Aswathy hails from a family of artistes in Kerala. Her father M. T. Vasudevan Nair is a well known author and film-maker and mother Saraswathy is a dance teacher trained at the Kerala Kalamandalam. After training with her mother, Aswathy is now working with N. Srikanth, himself a dancer from the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela family and has been a disciple of Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam. In his choreography for Aswathy, he had used the famous Karanas of the Padma Subrahmaniam Bharatanrityam here and there with telling effect. The adavu sequences were all in the Thanjavur Quartet code and the Kalakshetra code and delightfully combined the Padma touch. Aswathy rose to the occasion and flowed with the dance. The most notable aspects were the quietude and dignity.
The Navarasa Navaragamalika Varnam composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman made an impact since it was danced with restraint and a full flow of emotions. Aswathy found great support in the musicians. Murali Parthasarathy sang with splendid restraint and completely in alignment with sruti and also with great feeling and emotion. In Srikanth she had a very good Nattuvanar who gave the jathis a sensuous tilt. Topped with a remarkable feel for the lyrics and the music, the varnam captivated the audience. The effect of the flute (played by Saravanan) was charming. And the treatment of the bold character of Meenakshi who conquers the many lands and kings on her way and falls for Sundaresa was done with restraint and comely quality Vijayaraghavan's mridangam was intelligent and excellent in enhancing the singing and the rhythmical interludes. Then there was a Kavadi Chindu with a spring in steps and folksy bounce. Though choreographed on classical lines with the adavu sequences, interesting details were given with the clapping of hands for pauses in the theermanams. Aswathy seemed to enjoy herself immensely. Surprisingly, for a Bharatanatyam performance the lighting was good, particularly for the Annamacharya kriti.
Aswathy Nair has the making of a good artiste. She has to grow in terms of aesthetic ideas in costumes and a little more refinement in dancing. Attention to these will soon put her in the top bracket of the dance world.
V. R. DEVIKA
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