 Grace that is Ganga
 Ganga Grace’s Bharatanatyam recital, under the auspices of the Natyanjali Trust, at the Raga Sudha Hall, Mylapore, recently, was an amazingly pleasant revelation. She is better than most of the contemporary dancers. Her passionate commitment to this classical dance art form is unbelievable. It is a part of her life, she says.
This disciple of (late) Muthuswami Pillai and Dominique Delorme is intensively well-versed in, apart from Bharatanatyam, eastern culture, philosophy, Sanskrit, Indian classical music and Ashtanga Yoga. She has also received training under Prof. C V Chandrasekar, A Lakshmanan, Indira Kadambi; studied Abhinaya under Kalanidhi Narayanan and Nattuvangam under mala Rani and S Sharma of Kalakshetra in the last 15 years. She is a good ballerina and is adept at various other styles of dance – modern and contemprorary, Martha Graham Style, Dunhamm, Jazz...!
She is a Croat from the Republic of Croatia, S.E., the land of Goran Ivanisevich, former Wimbledon Champion and super tennis star. Croatia’s population is 4.5 million, almost comparable to that of
Chennai.
That Friday evening she danced just five numbers in about 90 minutes, with the Nattakkurinji ‘Aadhi – Varnam’ ‘Saami Naan Undan Adimai’ as the vibrant highlight of the exquisite recital. That she has taken intense, studious pains to underscore the ‘Sahitya’ in all its import was quite obvious through her eloquent emotive expressions, technical perfection, sthayee bhavah, the rasa lakshanam, graceful sancharis and calculated theermanams. As Sringara (the sentiment of love) was the principal keynote of this ‘Varnam’, she took particular care to impress the different aspects of this colourful sentiment picturesquely. Her fervent appeals to her Lord to bless her with his all-encompassing love was dignified, as also, amorous. Her ‘Varnam’ had form (rupa), colour (sukladhi), picture-perfection (chitre), perception, understanding and clarity. She was confident, totally focused, committed absolutely with nary a thought for the less-than-ten audience.
 The
Siva-Panchakshara stotram, padam Indendo Vacchithiru (Surutti – misra chaapu), Javali ‘Idhu Saahasamulu’ in Saindhavi, and nritta- Thillana salutation to Rukmini Devi matched her Varnam in brilliance of execution.
The digital-recorded music comprised – S Suki of Kalakshetra (nattuvangam- except Varnam), Neewin Hershall (varnam – nattuvangam – teacher in Nrityagram , Bangalore), Hariprasad (superb vocal music), Ramesh Babu (mridangam), Sikhamani (violin) and Sunil Kumar (flute).
She informed me that she had just two dance opportunities this season in Chennai. Not many have seen her dance, that is why. Here is a fond and earnest hope that Chennaites and others will have more opportunities to witness her aesthetically-perfect performances in the months to come. The Croat is in Chennai till March-end and will return to Croatia thereafter.
R Srinivasan
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