Divya Ravi impressed with her presence and expressions on stage. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
An unscheduled stop at an auditorium where Bharatanatyam was being performed proved to be an enriching experience. Not knowing anything about the artist, I kept watching and was slowly drawn into Andal’s world.
Dancer Divya Ravi had a presence on stage, who created interest with her Andal Kondai and Proper Aharya. Gradually, his activities, expression and exploration of ideas came to dominate Andal’s sentiments. The Adi Taala written by Vijayaraghavan and composed by Hariprasad Kaniyal came through beautifully through the wide expanse of Ragamalika Varnam.
Adding an extra dimension to the musical excerpts, Divya included a few select verses – ‘Ulagunda Vilangani Pol, Koodidu Koodele, Vinnila Melappu, Kallavizh Poongnai Thoduthukondu’ Nachiyar Thirumozhi, Poetically presented by Nattuvannar Jyotsna Akilan (Nattuvangam).
Images used – a worm gnawing on a fruit to depict his state of suffering, dark clouds looking like a blanket that will wrap around his master and bring him down, Manmatha with his honey-dripping arrows A prayer is being made to send them to their master and unite. Them, and the politeness with which she persuades her parrot by saying ‘Achyut, Achyut’ – WereDelectable.
something to remember
However, Divya also has to avoid overstretching some ideas, such as the flower garland sequence, where the continuous circular motions make it look like a coiled snake.
An unusual choice was the poem ‘Terigatha’ written by the Buddhist monk Amrapali, said to be the oldest surviving anthology of feminist poetry in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of 73 poems in the Pali language. This poem was composed in Sarang and Sumnesa Ranjani ragas.
The piece talks about a woman coming to terms with her aging body – her thick, dark hair that once looked like a honey bee feels like hemp grass, her jewel-like eyes. The cuckoo’s voice has lost its lustre, and its once melodious voice now sounds like a harsh drum. These ideas were beautifully explored. Flowers were decorated separately in her hair.
The musical support given by Divya’s husband Sharan Subramaniam was equally captivating. The emotion that was being imagined was echoing in his voice. TV Sukanya’s sensitive playing on the violin and PK Shivaprasad’s powerful rhythmic support on the mridangam were assets.
A lively abhang in Shivaranjani, written by Janabhai, which talks about the dance of Panduranga to the music of Guru Namdev, was the concluding piece. The rhythmic movements that maintained the posture of Pandurang were interesting, but the jathis inserted in between broke the flow.
published – December 04, 2024 03:21 PM IST
