Pavithra Srinivasan acting at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha’s Pongal Dance Pageant, 2023, in Chennai..
| Photograph Credit score: R. RAVINDRAN
Typically, artistes go into an introspective journey, oblivious of extraneous elements. That is so important for his or her inventive expression. Dancer Pavithra Srinivasan did simply that, when she handed on the enjoyment of her immersive explorations to viewers on the concluding efficiency of the Pongal dance competition organised by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.
Samba Shivayanave, the central piece, is in style in music concert events however not typically seen within the dance repertoire. This Swarajathi composed by Chinna Krishna Dasar in raga Khamas and set to Adi tala, describes the glory of Shiva and his consort Amba who reside atop the snow-clad mountain. The depiction of Nandi wanting on the Lord and Devi with admiration; characterisation of the person traits of the 2 earlier than their union to grow to be ardhanari; Markandeya’s story, the place the laughter of Yama was highlighted with out it being harsh and over dramatic; the subtlety of expressions within the story of Gundodhara consuming and ingesting the whole lot, resulting in Shiva bringing Ganga all the way down to Earth; and Amrita manthan and Shiva ingesting poison have been some sancharis that Pavithra depicted with finesse and style.
The addition of Pavithra’s private expertise of the Kailash yatra to the narrative for the road ‘Rajitha giri’ stood out — minute particulars such because the legs aching after climbing the mountain, travelling by mule, and looking out up on the mountain with a way of admiration and worry whereas wanting down, and the expression when her toes contact the icy waters.
The chanting of the panchakshara mantra Om Namah Shivaya whereas Pavithra elaborated the pancha bhootas and pancha Indriyas slowly moved on to a non secular aircraft because the music and rhythm tapered all the way down to silence.
The sringara rasa of a lovelorn heroine besotted by lord Muruga, as visualised within the Madhuvanti raga tune ‘Kanda naal mudhalai’ by N.S.Chidambaram, adopted. From the portrayal of the grace of a peacock, the communication of coyness and fervour of the nayika by her eyes, the blooming of flowers encircled by bees, and the panorama crammed with romantic allegories, Pavithra’s dance mirrored that pleasure.
Having launched into a journey to visualise the essence of every chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Pavithra concluded the present with ‘Arjuna vishada yogaha’, a dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna within the first chapter. The percussion sounds used dramatically for warfare cry and the motion of the eyeballs to showcase Dhritarashtra’s blindness have been impactful.
The nuanced percussion assist of R. Sriganesh for the theermanams within the Swarajathi and Bhagavad Gita was noteworthy. The nattuvangam was by N.S. Anantashri, vocal assist by Roshni and violin by Nandini Sai Sridhar.