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Shradha’s Artistry
 Bharatanatyam dancer Shradha Balu (18), disciple of Thejas Guru Srekala Bharath, is a vibrant performer, whose steadily improving style of dancing is characterized by artistry, alacrity, agility and assiduous application. Her performance, under the auspices of Sri Ragam Fine Arts, as the culmination of the five-day, ninth Balasaraswathi memorial dance festival at the Raga Sudha Hall on Thursday evening last, was noteworthy for her footwork excellence, fluid body language and communicative
abhinaya.
Beginning with traditional Pushpanjali, followed by a classical exposition of the Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s Abhogi- roopakam composition’ Sabaapathikku Veru Deivam…’, noted for its statuesque and creative poses, Shraddha glided on smoothly to the varnam, the most important feature in dance repertoire.
‘Athimoham Konden’, a composition by the Tanjore quartet, in Sankarabharanam- Aadhi, details the ardent love of the Nayika for her lover – Nayaka - and her excruciating pangs arising out of prolonged separation from him.
The 30-minute-comprehensive varnam portrayal was quite convincing and full of expressive sringara orientations. The netra-bhedas, so essential for such a theme, the acute suffering of the love-lorn damsel, were thoroughly in consonance with the carefully chosen erotic flavour and the striking choreography embedded in this varnam delineation. The ‘song’ itself, as Chief Guest veteran dance guru Indira Rajan pointed out, though not too popular these days, lent complete scope for impressive abhinaya. Shradha won repeated appreciation from the audience for her delightful depiction and did her guru proud. The Chief Guest stressed, in particular, Srekala's twin role as much-acclaimed performer, guru.
 Madurakavi Bharathi’s ‘Yarukkahilum Bhayamaa’ (Begada-Chapu), Subramania Bharathi’s ‘Vellaitthaamaraiyil Iruppaal’ (Abheri-Adhi) and the Lalagudi Maund Thillaana (Unnai charanadainthen) were three other items that gave further scope for the dancer to engineer her ‘versatility’ purposefully. Her assets are a wide-eyed mobile face, an attractive stage presence and dedicated commitment to the art despite her demanding academic pursuits as a second-year engineering student.
Guru Srekala (nattuvangam) Chitrambari Krishnakumar (vocal), Venkatasubramanian (mridangam) and Muruganandam (violin) were embellishing accompaniments.
R.Srinivasan
Published on 17th July 2004
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