Enchanting Bharata Nrityam
An exclusive Bharata Nrityam dance recital by Bala Devi Chandrashekar, senior disciple of noted Bharata Nrityam exponent, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, was hosted in New Jersey as part of a major fundraising event - ‘Kalai Vizha’ - on the occasion of IACRF’s 11th anniversary.
Bala’s remarkable performance revolved around shringara and bhakti rasa - nectar of devotion through dance. It offered a unique experience of the rich and intricate tapestry of Bharata
Nrityam.
The pushpanjali in Aarabhi was brisk, bringing out the variety of tala and the execution of intricate adavu jatis with felicitous grace and sparkle. The sahitya gave enough scope to invest abhinaya with the appropriate dramatic Hindu pantheon. With an expressive visage, one could see the subtle nuances in a laudable appropriate balance between nrita and nritya.
Bala did an interpretive dance set to lyrical passage offering an uninterrupted opportunity for mime or abhinaya. Bala represented the nayika in a state of separation and expectancy of union, portraying the beauty of shringara standing supreme in the range of emotions. The literary imagery was so rich and full of traditional allusions bringing the earnest desire of an individual soul (Jeevatma) to be in union with the supreme soul - Paramatma in the song ‘Sendruvaruven Endru Andru Solli Ponaradi’ in
Ragamalika.
In the song ‘Baro Krishnayya’ by Saint Kanakadasa, Bala’s depiction of Yashoda beckoning child Krishna with vatsalya taking his hand and walking along before scooping him up in her arms was remarkable! As she brought alive Krishna's image turning to give darshan to Kanakadasa, she held the audience spellbound!
Bala’s performance clearly sets a style of great classicism, portraying the aesthetic beauty and choreographic style of Bharata Nrityam known for its grace, purity, tenderness and statuesque poses. Truly, Bala’s performance uplifted the rasikas to a higher level of involvement and spiritual consciousness.
Shalini Ramanathan
