Kanak Nrityotsav: A pageant of dance forms

Guru brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara| Guru Saakshaat Parabramha Tasmay Shree Guruve Namaha ||

A guru is one who is capable of propounding a particular doctrine, a school of thought or style of his or her own, something which is peculiar to him or her. Such a person, a celebrity can be called a Guru,” says art critic George Paul.

Padmabhushan Kalaratna Dr Kanak Rele is a leading exponent of Mohiniattam, an educationalist, choreographer and most of all a devotee of the arts.

More importantly, what sets her apart is that she gave a concrete structure to Mohiniattam which was in a fluid state for long. Her style of Mohiniattam is widely prevalent and popular. She injected Sopanam music into mohiniattam as she felt that the style of an art form has to spring from the very style of its origin.

It would be unsurprising then that a Guru of such stature would have in liberally disseminating her variety of Mohiniattam have equally proficient shisyas or disciples to propagate her work further.

Says Sunanda Nair, who recently started the Kanak Nrityotsav in honour of her Guru Dr Rele, “This festival is my tribute to my Guru who has given me so much. It’s time to give back as much as possible. Many a times, we tend to remember our Guru only after he or she is gone, but I was very sure I wanted to celebrate my Guru when she is around. I have been planning this festival for almost three or four years. Hence the initiative, which is my dakshina to my Guru.”

Sunanda herself has been learning Mohiniattam from Rele for the last 30 years.

Sunanda maintains that though in its first year, she was not able to assign a definite theme to the festival, the intention of hosting it was to promote talented artists who have carved a niche for themselves in their respective genres of Indian classical dance. These could be the future sparks in the scenario of Indian classical dance,” says Sunanda.

The festival started off with a performance by Athira Vijaykumar, who is Sunanda’s disciple. “I wanted her to see, this is what you taught me and this is what I taught the kids.”

Athira presented Madhurashtrakam, piece takes us through Lord Krishna’s playful childhood, right up to the very famous endearing episode where Krishna, now king of Dwaraka is visited by his childhood friend Sudhamma.

The piece ends with Lord Krishan guiding a visibly disheartened Arjuna in the battle of Kurukshetra. During the ultimate test of Arjuna’s life, the lord bestows upon him the divine vision reminding him of his duty and telling him that he must do what is right.

Athira then goes on to present a nritta item Jeeva where the artiste displays her ability to execute intricate movements set to foot-tapping rhythms.

Athira makes a seamless transition from the evocative abhinaya piece where she dons the role of Krishna, Sudhamma and Arjuna effortlessly to the nritta item, where she enthralls with her precise pure dance steps, which proves to be an exercise in aestheticism.

Both the pieces were choreographed by Dr Rele.

Rahul Acharya who started with a brisk nritta piece in Odissi style, went on to Ashtshambo, depicting the eight tandava styles of Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva, the cosmic god of dance, does the tandava, it leads to dissolution in the entire cosmos.

Rahul was as immaculate as a sculpture while presenting the varying moods of Lord Shiva, ranging from the ananda tandava, the dance of joy, the gauri tandava of love with his consort Goddess Parvati, the Vignesha tandava with his son Lord Ganesha, the Sandhya tandava, the dance in a state of intoxication, to the most destructive tandava of rage, the samhara tandava. The Odissi exponent was alluring as he elegantly painted fluid rhythmic patterns at the same time delving into the shifting forms of the feisty God.

Kirti Ramgopal who commenced her Bharatnatyam recital with Natesha Kauthuvam, ancient temple ritual in praise of the Cosmic dancer keeps the audience captivated with her vigorous, precise movements. Kirti them moves on to the Varnam, a composition of Lalgudi G. Jayaraman in Shanmugapriya ragam set to Adi talam.

After the playful episode between Lord Krishna and Sudhaama and his serene advice to Arjuna at the battle of Kurushetra presented in Mohiniattam style by Athira, we now get a glimpse of his stoic self as he tries to assuage Bhrigu Maharshi who stamps his chest, this time in the Bharatnatyam mode. Kirti also highlights the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, chief among them as Krishna rushes to the aid of a disrobed Draupadi and his sly but impressive Vamanam avatar.

Kirti completes her recital with a Marathi abhang, where a lovelorn Radha arrives at the beautiful Vrindavan garden only to find her paramour Lord Krishna frolicking with other gopikas. Rusli Radha, Rusli Krishna is about Krishna’s endevours to pacify her, their quarrels and eventual reconciliation.

The final treat for the evening was by Sreelakshmy Govardhan who depicts the nine emotions of Lord Krishna in Tarangam a ragamalika piece.

Sreelakshmy shows off her special skill element characteristic of Kuchipudi in the final segment where rhythmic and elaborate foot movements are executed on the rim of a brass plate. Sreelakshmy then moves on to Saptagiri, where a devotee pleads to Lord Venkateswara to deliver him from sinful emotions.

Set in Gowli Panthu ragam, the piece ends in Venkateswara Mangalam, bringing the evening performances to a fitting end.

The evening also saw all the four performers being honoured with Athira bagging the Yuva Kanak Jyoti for beginners while Rahul, Kirti and Sreelakshmy were bestowed with the Yuva Kanak Pratibha.