Audience were gifted with a bouquet of Indian Classical dances by gifted children, made possible by Articulate Trust for Arts in their Articulate Festival – Udgama-03 on Nov.17 at Veene Seshanna Bhavana in Kuvempunagar. Articulate Festival series-44  witnessed a high energy performance by Qatar-based Bharatanatyam artiste on the same day. A dance festival curate by Mysore B. Nagaraj.

Purujith Kadekar: Yakshagana artiste, studying in 7th grade currently under tutelage of Guru Srinidhi Holla of Yakshashree Kala Vrinda, Bengaluru, performed three acts from the coastal theatrical dance art of Karnataka. He commenced with obeisance to Lord Ganesha through the composition ‘Neneyiro Janarella Gananathana,’ displayed the effervescent nature of bala Krishna in the composition ‘Kolanooduta Banda’ and concluded with an ode to Goddess Chamundi in the item ‘Palayamam Janani.’

Purujith’s performance proved that even Yakshagana can be fitted well in dance concerts with possibilities of creating repertoires that fit well into concert formats, as against the art that is a long narrative involving chaturvidha abhinaya, so close to the tenets of Natya Shastra. The 12-year-old was very mercurial, with a contagious smile, thumping feet with precision to the mardala beats, the attitude exuded a very boyish grace that enraptured the audience. Apart from vibrant and glittering costume, he carried the art very comfortably and confidently on his young shoulder. 

Saania Thakur: Odissi artiste, studying in Grade 5, disciple of Guru and Mother Yasomati Mishra, chose to perform a prayer to Lord Ganesh through traditional shlok ‘Vakratunda Mahakaya,’ a traditional Pallavi in Raga Kalyan and finished her short concert with a Odiya abhinaya song on Krishna, Sakhi and Radha ‘Bhangi Chaha.’

Saania’s Pallavi mesmerised audience. Proved human body could move so sensuous and yet subtly sublime even in a child’s body frame. Her understanding of emotions, at such young age, as displayed in her conversation of Sakhi with Radha, describing the beauty of Krishna left audience speechless. One could see a perpetual smile on the spectators’ face throughout Saania’s performance.

Saina Kadni: Kathak artiste studying in the 9th Grade, trained under Guru Mysore B. Nagaraj and Laxminarayan Jena, through a dhrupad composition on Shiva in raga malkouns and ek taal and a less seen repertoire of kathak ‘Geet-Triwat’ in raga Madhuvanthi, set to teen taal drew applauds from audience for her speed and dexterity of foot work.

Saina sailed effortlessly and confidently in both the chosen acts. The mudras she employed in the drupad was very pleasant to see when one assumes Kathak has no employment of hand gestures that are codified. The ‘Geet-Triwat’ she chose to perform established her capacity to grasp the grammar of Kathak in all its nuances as displayed in her execution of parans and the manipulated ankle bells that resounded the syllable of tabla and pakhawaj. She drew applauses during her performance establishing the fact that she made the audience tune with her.

Nrithya: Bharatanatyam artiste studying in the 8th Grade, prized disciple of Guru Archana Punyesh, catered the prekashaka with a Mallari, Aalaripu and a Kouthvam. While the first two was technical dominated, the Kouthvam on Lord Narasimha was enchanting though the Lord has a demeanour of fearful manifestation. Nrithya’s command over the basics of Bharatanatyam form got displayed in her two technical items. It was in her Kouthvam that she excelled through her natya dharmi approach to expression and enactment. The fearful nature of Lord Narasimha, was intensely brought out luridly displayed.

Sowmya Govind Naidu, Bharatanatyam artiste based in Qatar, disciple of Vidu. Vasundhara Doreswamy, performed in Articulate Festival series 44 as a concluding segment of the evening. Very crisp and vibrant execution was witnessed in both her chosen acts, giving a feel of her in exhaustible energy that exuded from the word go till her pranams. The very testing Varnam in Ritigowla, Aadi Tala composed by Raghavendra Prabhath and embellished by the select names from Sri Krishna Shatanamavali and interspersed with a sanchari depicting the anecdote of Pootana was followed by a vibrant Thillana in raga Varamu and Aadi tala, composed by Nagamani Srinath which gave a fleeting glimpse of the famous episode of Sri Krishna turning around for Kanakadasa.

The packed house left highly enchanted by the children’s act and enthralled by the solo artiste. A assertation was made that our hoary classical arts is well-preserved in the hands of today’s children.