The Articulate Festival, in its series 28 on 16th September, 2018 at Veene Seshanna Bhavana, Ganabharathi, Mysuru, saw four enchanting dance arts by four enchantresses. It was a visual cultural tour across the country from Andhra to Uttar Pradesh to Odisha and Tamil Nadu while a spectator just sat in the comforts of the auditorium’s chair. The show was curated by Mysore B. Nagaraj just to share the joy of dance art.

Nivedita Viswanathan from Chennai opened her act with an ode to Lord Ganesha through the lyrics of Saint Tyagaraja and sailed through a Uthukadu Venkata Subbaiah composition on Krishna. Despite her heavy frame, she had nimble feet that hoisted her every movement that depicted Lord Ganesha and his lighthearted commune with the devotee. Krishna’s sermon, on  the battlefield, to Arjuna was the central theme in the second of her repertoire. What surprised was Nivedita preferred to do abhinaya describing the acts of Krishna while she precariously perched on the edge of the brass plate dexterously manipulating as against the often seen echoing the syllables of the mridanga. What one missed was the bejewelled Plait of Traditional Kuchipudi, that would be sensually held in the hand and swayed matching the gait. However, the energy of Nivedita maintained through the gruelling  two dance numbers she chose to present.

Ashitha, who was scheduled the second artiste of the evening, created a fleeting mehfil, a romantic Bagh, royal durbar all through gestures and movements in her Lucknowi  Andaaz through her Kathak dance. Beautifully attired and flaunted the signature jewellery that hangs on the left temple languorously caressing the brow, she enthralled the audience right from the beginning of her recital. She meandered through various Jaatihis of the Taal system of Hinduatani Music interrelated by her exquisite dancing of the Nrutta in her opening item of Teen Taal. She constantly drew the attention of the audience who reciprocated their pleasure through applauds at appropriate stances. She exhibited the Satvik bhaav in the Nazam of Fayyaz Hashmi’s “Aaj Jaane Ki Zidh Na Karo” stirring up romantic moods. The Raag Darbari was haunting and Ashithas performance of Tarana in that raag was equally sublime.

In the third segment of the festival, Sonali Mohanty was Odissi’s bewitching bhangis personified. Her gaits and grace was transcendent that transported to the picturesque temples of Odisha. Her Pallavi rendition was pure pleasure to watch as she bewitched audience with movements that resembled the creepers as they swayed in the winds of melody and rhythm. Her ode to Durga in her repertoire Naba Durga unleashed the female principle in a combination of brutal energy alongside benevolence of the great mother. Sonali in her abhinaya of a odia song describing the charm of the prince of Brajabhoomi, was captivating in all its innocent coquettishness. The gopi  in her vision of Krishna’s various leelas from his slaying of the serpent to the vishwaroop, the artiste exhibited her forte in expressional dance as much she was in her best in the technical aspects of Odissi dance.

Yashaswini Shivaraman’s Bharatanatyam, the fourth in the series of the day,  took the audience through an obeisance, a ode to Cosmic dancer and a lighthearted Padam. Though the composition that describes Kamakshi is seen frequently, Yashaswini’s delineation of the same was pleasantly different. Her rendition of Gopalkrishna Bharathiyars wonder of not seeing any one equal to Shiva of Chidambaram was neat and her unfolding story of Markandeya was done with élan. Subramania Bharathiyar’s padam that spoke of the dilemma of a nayika not able to remember the face of her beloved and yet remembers his acts that mesmerised her to the point that she feels his presence in all the directions she glanced. Yashaswini displayed a perfect balance when she alternated her Nrutta and abhinaya in the first two composition and her predicament in the padam was well-gesticulated.

The packed hall witnessed a colourful dance canvas display hues of four different dance forms that has withstood the test of time, hence called classic.