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Prashanthi’s high-level performance
 Prashanthi Jagannathan is, unusually, tall for a dancer. In fact, one can safely affirm that she is the tallest among today's danseuses in the country (5’10” - 175 cms). Aadith Narayan must be the tallest among male dancers.
The point is Prashanthi's stately height added considerably to her merit-worthy
Bharatanatyam performance at the
Narada Gana Sabha hall, recently, Initially, she was quite nervous, visibly so. However, she picked up sustaining confidence very soon and rendered the
Varnam ‘Roopamuguchi (Tyagaraja: Thodi-Adi) quite competently. She must have found the mini-hall stage inadequate, for her sancharis were cramped. All the same, the overall impression of the
rasikas at the end of the five-number recital was very favourable, deservingly so.
The Dikshitar Padam composition 'Devi Neeye Thunai' in ragam Keeravani and taalam Adi and the Bharatiyar Padam 'Aasai Mugham Maranthu Poche’ in Jonpuri - Adi were quite fetching. The ‘Valachi’ Thillana in Kantajathi Triputa (Salem K Meera – composer) conveyed Prashanthi's expressive understanding of the related nuances impressively. Her guru Madhushri Raj Sethuraman was the choreographer for all the five pieces. Madhushri did the nattuvangam and vocal support as well. Radha Badri’s mellifluous melodies, Nellai Kannan’s efficient percussive support and B N Ramesh’s lilting flute strains enhanced Prashanthi’s recital
commandably.
An ambitious bio-medical researcher in the US, Prashanthi has majored in electrical engineering with specialisation in pre-medicine and digital signal processing. Prashanthi is also a good veena player and a very good pianist and has passed with honours several examinations in the Theory of Western Music from Trinity College, London. She averred that dance would ever continue to be one of her top priorities. We hope so,
Prashanthi.
R Srinivasan
Published on 30th July 2004
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