Vivid expressions come to life

It was a feast for the eyes with Shravanthi’s grace and charm working magic on the stage. Shravanthi, a disciple of Bhanumati, started dancing at the tender age of seven and has successfully completed her junior grade exam in Bharatanatyam.

The performance started with a Choornike in Aarabhi raga and then moved on to Poorvarangavidhi in Hamsadwani raga, which is a Mysore style of dance. 

Poorvarangavidhi was usually presented instead of Alarippu as the opening
number. In olden days, it was performed to invoke the deity and to indicate gratitude to the local ruler or the king.

Shravanthi conveyed the emotions beautifully in this piece. Up next was Kali, in
Aabhogi raga, a composition of Muthaiah Bhagavathar which brings out the divine manifestations of Durga as a form of strength.

This piece depicted the atrocities of the demon Mahishasura and how she undertakes tapas to destroy the demon. This was an alluring piece as her expressions were quite arresting. The piece had intense emotions of raudra (anger) and calmness.

The next piece was Choodare in Shahana raga and Mishra Chaapu taala.

This piece talks about a daring woman, who despite being married, visits Lord Krishna and how the women in the neighbourhood burn in envy because of this. Shravanthi portrayed the expressions of this woman brilliantly and the piece received the loudest applause.

Her guru Bhanumati, who was present at the event, said, “The real gift for a guru is an impeccable performance from her disciple and Shravanthi has done it dutifully. It was great to see her perform with such ease.”

The next piece was Baagilanu Theredu in Mishrahindola raga and Khandachapu tala, which showed the strength of Kanakadasa’s devotion for Lord Krishna.  The last piece was Thillana in Vallachi raga and Adi tala, which is a composition by Dwaraki Krishnaswamy. This piece is done in praise of Goddess Parvathi.

The audience had only praises for the performance. Sadashiva, a retired officer, said, “It was indeed enthralling to see such a young performer being so vibrant in her expressions. I enjoyed the Kali piece a lot. She perfectly depicted the emotions with great elan and grace.” Chaitra, a student who was at the event, said, “It was very refreshing to see the recital. It was a visual treat and a brilliant performance.”