Articulate Festival has become one of those special events people look forward to satiate their visual cravings for Indian classical dance. Organised by Mysore B. Nagaraj on the 3rd Sunday of every month, the fest saw the 23rd in its series, in the evening of 15th April at Veene Seshanna Bhavana in Kuvempunagar.

A festival that inspires classical dance artistes from all over India and abroad to come and share their art with the connoisseurs in the royal city of Mysuru.

S.C. Kathyayini, a disciple of Guru Vidu. Kripa Phadke of  Nrityagiri Academy of Performing Arts & Research Centre, Mysuru,  performed a Mysore Vasudevacharya’s Composition as obeisance to the presiding deity of Mysuru “Sri Chamundeshwari” as her invocatory act. This was in Bilahari Raga and Aditala. In her second act, she performed  for DVG’s poetry, “Natanavaadidal Taruni” culled from his collection of poetry “Anthapura Geete” that brought out the Koravanji character live in expressing her devotion to Chennakeshava. She concluded with a Thillana of Lalgudi Jayaram in Raaga mohanakalyani and aditalam.

Rekha Dinesh Kumar, now disciple of B. Bhanumathi and Sheela Chandrashekar of Nrityakalamandiram began her recital with a Choornike written by  Subramanya Shastri, choreographed by Padma awardee Venkatlakshmamma, on the Rangadevate. A repertoire that stands special in the Mysuru School of Bharathanatya. A Gowla Raga, Mishrachapu tala composition of  Muthuswamy Dikshitar was the second dance Rekha performed as a dance prayer to Ganesha. She concluded with a Vachana “Nanda Priya Shiva Nembaru” of Basavanna in raga Hamsanandhi and Khandachaputala. The vachana’s dance interpretation saw the story of Ravana and Kannappa weaved into its narrative.

Laxminarayan Jena and Dr. Prarthana, senior disciples of Guru Mysore B. Nagaraj of Articulate Dance Studios, presented two compositions that were very crisp, fast paced and mercurial in movement justifying the Kathak emphasis on Bramaris and Padakriyas.

The first was  Raga-Tala-Sahithya mala in praise of Shiva incorporating the lyrics of Goswami Tulasidas, Adi Shankaracharya and Poet Balwant Rai Bhat. Kaviths and Parans were interspersed in their choreography. The second dance was purely nritta that drew spontaneous applauses at the end of every Tukdas and parans. The finale of footwork was electrifying. The Nrutta too was RAAG-TAAL Malika.

Kavyashree Nagaraj, in her just one dance item in the VARNAM format, justified her command over the medium of Bharathanatya dance. The Attana Raga, AAdi tala based composition encapsulated almost the entire Bhagavatham when she delineated with the anecdotes from Krishna’s life while constantly appealing him to come to her. Disciple of Karnataka Kalashree Guru Dr. Suparna Venkatesh, she looked tireless despite the demanding 30 minutes seamless presentation.

The co-ordinator of the festival Mysore Nagaraj held the various dance segments together in a crisp presentation and with his articulated speech gave befitting introduction to the dance items that suited the sensibility of the assembled audience.