Blend of two dance styles
Kathak exponent Chitresh Das performing at Shivanjali in Coimbatore. — Pic. by K. Ananthan
THAT TRUE art transcends the boundaries of region and language was proved beyond doubt when Kathak exponent Pt. Chitresh Das performed at the Agastya Center of Excellence, Coimbatore recently.
The show was organised by Kirthilal Kalidas & Co., Coimbatore.
When Chitreshji appeared on the stage, he struck an immediate rapport with the audience with his childlike simplicity and genuine friendliness.
With the able assistance of compere Gayathri, he prepared the spectators for the extravaganza.
Whether it was for a sloka or a bhajan or an elaborate piece like `Seetha Apaharan,' Chitreshji applied the same dedication and involvement.
His whole body vibrated to the pulsating rhythm. By blending the styles of the Lucknow School and Jaipur School beautifully, he has evolved a refined, forceful and sophisticated dance form.
When he performed `Seetha Apaharan' (the abduction of Seetha), the characters such as Rama, Seetha, Lakshmana, Maareecha and Ravana came alive on the stage and the performer was lost in his performance.
`Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda' was a small piece in Bengali and Hindi, depicting the delectable antics of the divine child Krishna, who lifted the Govardhan (a mountain) to protect the people of Brindavan.
Chitresh Das's junior disciples, Kasturi Mishra and Seema Mehta performed solos, enthralling the gathering with their swift and graceful pirouettes, typical of Kathak.
Pooja Doshi, Monica Dalidowicz and Sahar Hojat also gave beautiful performances.
While keeping in mind the purity of the dance form, Chitresh Das performed special pieces to entertain children.
One could hear the sounds of a horse's hooves, the passing of a train, the train passing over a bridge and the crossing of two trains as he kept tapping his feet.
The sound of the feet and that of the anklets did the trick. His impressive music troupe included Devashish Sircar (vocal), Kousic Sen (tabla) and Bannerjee (sitar).
Earlier, 24 students of Shivanjali presented two mood pieces, `Swaradevata' and `Shivanjali,' (vocal, guitar, tabla and the keyboard), conceived and choreographed by Kedarji, who teaches at Shivanjali, Coimbatore.
B. RAMADEVI
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