Applauding a dedicated effort!

It is often called the traditional art form. Many learn it and some take it up as their careers. But in today’s time, classical dance forms such as Bharathanatyam require a wider audience to keep up their reputation of being a popular form of art. The sabhas vie with each other to organise programmes for the annual Margazhi Festival using sponsorships available to them. With the dwindling crowd at the dance recitals, the main question is who is responsible for the current situation? There is a need now for sponsors and Sabhas, to ponder over the prevailing situation. Will they? While attending J Suryanamurthy’s Bharathanatyam performance for Kartik Fine Arts at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Main Hall, where the attendance was very low, numbering a dozen, these thoughts came to my mind. The dancer endowed, with a striking stage personality, a faculty member of Kalakshetra, trained by Dhananjayans, presented an enthusiastic Margham Dance. After the Pushpanjali in Nattai, his delineation of the varnam, which was the anchor of the recital, (Ninne Nera Namminarura) of Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sharma, exhibited the joyful, enchanting lyrics, swara sections, spreading over the network of Bhava and Thala. Ananda Nadamidum Padam in Raga Kedaragowla of Papanasam Sivan, was depicted with an elegant touch. He was sincere in achieving the intricacies of the rhythmical aspects of ‘Adavu structures’, with perfection. Certainly, this was the best performance of the evening, done with emotional expressiveness.With the pre-recorded orchestral support, the programme rounded off with a scintillating Thillana in Raga Paras, mirroring the dedicated efforts of his training masters Dhananjayans’ at Kalakshetra.-NV