Many young and old musicians and dancers performed. Bharathanatya, Karnatak and Hindustani classical music, jugalbandhis were a part of this celebrations. Apart from this , the Vasundhara Performing Centre honoured senior artistes too.
Deepika Phanibhushan and Seema Jawahar, disciples of Vasundhara Doreswami gave Bharathanatya recital on the September 20. Vasundhara herself performed the natuvanga. They were accompanied by Balasubramanya(Vocal), M R Hanumantha Raju (mridanga), M Narayan (violin), Rakesh (flute), and H L Shivashankarswamy(mridanga).
Deepika who performed first has a pretty face that explores the abhinaya well. The sanchari bhavas added colour to the nritya bandhas like Padavarna and devaranama. Accuracy in laya is like backbone of the dancer. If a dancer’s one ear is for music, the other should be for natuvanar’s tala with which the steps should synchronise. Many a times Deepika’s steps were not blending with the tala indicating the need for increased preparations.
She started her recital with Thodayam, followed by Vinayaka Stuthi. Her real talent came alive in the Padavarna in Tamil ‘ Innum en manam’ in the Raga Charukeshi. The virahothkanthita Nayaki and the vasaka sajja were well presented. It had a few fine abhinaya in sanchari bhavas like Gopika Vastrapaharana and the deers listening to Krishna’s flute forgetting to chew the grass in their mouth.
A Kannada devaranama ‘Harismarane mado niranthara’ in ragamalika included Draupadi vastrapaharana that had ample of scope for abhinaya. She concluded the performance with a mangala of Sri Ramachandra.
Seema Jawahar is another senior disciple of Vasundhara Doreswami. She presented the recital after receiving the honour by the Art centre. An inaugural Guruvandana in nagaswaravali lead to a Tamil Varna that had vipralabdha shringara of the Khanditha Nayaki. “Anname aruginil va”(valachi-Subbudu) has the story of Skanda and Valli’s Love. Devayani as the khanditha nayaki was well depicted by Seema.
The woes being shared with her sakhi was also good.
The Nrutta had a few interesting utplavanas, bhramaris and karanas. She used the entire stage skilfully. The only hindrance for rasabhava was the rigid and jerky neck movements.
The Kannada Javali she danced in Des was a fine presentation. Seema did full justice to it ( Viraha taapa taalalare). A matured abhinaya backed it up. She concluded the recital with a Tillana in Sumanasaranjani , composed by Nagavalli Nagaraj.
