Vandhana Supriya, an odissi performer, left the audience mesmerised by her magnificent postures and intense expressions during her recent performance as part of the Every Friday Cultural Evening Programme.

Her moves were elegant as well as visually appealing. K Jayasimha, an audience member, says, “This was a first-class performance. The poses were very different and the dancer very talented. I liked the Dashavatara performance, especially narasimha avatar.”

Vandhana was a student of the Nrityagram School and is now working as a teacher there. She has been practising this art form from the last 13 years.

After watching the performance, Sathya, an audience member and a professional choreographer, says, “I think the performance was wonderful.

The narasimha avatar was very intense and the artiste performed it really well. However, as a choreographer, I think the lighting should have been better. The spotlight did not match the artiste’s movements.”   

One of the pieces portrayed Radha’s lamentation in Lord Krishna’s absence. The song depicted Radha’s sakhis trying to console her, by stating that Lord Krishna’s mind is always preoccupied by Radha — so, there is no reason for her to lament.

Talking about the act, Srinivasa, another member of the audience, says, “The dancer performed the roles of various artistes all at once.

The song was very soothing and calmed the mind. It is very unfortunate that not many South Indians choose to learn odissi. However, I think performers of this dance form from other parts of the country should visit the City.”

The audience was a little sparse as a result of the heavy downpour in the evening. Artiste Vandhana states, “I am really disappointed that the audience did not come in large numbers. The greatest joy for any artiste is people appreciating her dance performance. I wanted to interact with a lot of people — but somehow, it did not happen.”

She adds, “Odissi is a beautiful dance form, it is sensuous and attractive. Unfortunately, very few Kannadigas opt for it. My main intention is to use the literature of Kannada poets in odissi.

Our poets have written some beautiful songs that really complement this dance form. I am also travelling abroad to perform and promote odissi at various events.”