Articulate Trust for Arts, whose mission is to collaborate with classical dance artistes to create platforms to share and enjoy classical dances of India, in its 42nd edition conducted the Articulate (Mysuru) Festival on Oct.20 at Veene Seshanna Bhavana in Kuvempunagar, Mysuru.

Curator of the festival, Mysore B. Nagaraj said that the Trust has dedicated itself to conduct the festivals now twice a month, every 1st Sunday in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), Mysuru and every 3rd Sunday at Veene Seshanna Bhavana, Mysuru, to facilitate the numerous artistes who have expressed their interest to share their artistry. This evening witnessed three Bharatanatyam  and one Odissi performance.

M.S. Vidyalakshmi, disciple of Vid. P. Praveen Kumar of Chithkala School of Dance, Bengaluru, commenced her Bharatanatyam recital with a Chittaranjani raga based and in Adi tala Sri Thyagaraja’s kriti on Shiva ‘Nada Tanumanisham Shankaram.’ Before concluding with the signature item Tillana in raga Sumanasranjini, Adi tala composition of Sri Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, she presented a Purandara Dasa’s Devaranama ‘Kadagola Tarenna Chinnave’ in Raga Yaman set to adi tala.

To suit the modern sensibility of audience and yet keeping herself within the frame work of the tradition, she introduced a subtleness,  in otherwise a highly stiffened  geometrical movements in the nrutta and subtlelity in expression, in otherwise a total natyadharmi form of abhinaya. The restrain she exercised, so elegantly, was easy on the prekshakas eyes.

Sneha Venkataramani Krishna, Bharatanatyam artiste, disciple of Padma Bhushan Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan, opened her performance with a Sindhu Bhairavi-Taal: Adi Tamil composition by Gopalakrishna Bharathi,  ‘Tha Thai endraduvaar’ and continued with an abhinaya number in raga: Ragamalika, Taal: Adi Telugu composition by  Kshetrayya, ‘Nanne Penlaaduchumi Na Yaana Muvvagopala.’

Her concluding dance was ‘Radha Madhava Rati Charitamithi’ a Telugu composition by Kshetrayya in Ragamalika — Taal Adi. Sneha Venkataramani enraptured the rasikas through her three renditions. The esoteric meaning hidden in the sahithya in the obeisance to Shiva was well brought out through her interpretation of the kundalini awakening and the Shiva’s body encompassing the entire bramhanda. She made one feel that the Lord’s dance was the pulse of the universe. It was amazing to watch the way she transited from Mughdha to Madhya to Pragalbha Nayika bhava, just by mere short bramari, to delineate the promises made by their common beloved Krishna.

In the third item, she transcended the sensual love of radha to sublime relation with Krishna, establishing her approach to dance composition was not merely for entertainment or a showcase of her technical mastery, but was to take her audience to spiritual experience, which she effectively did.

Satya Prakash Sahoo, Odissi dancer, disciple of Guru Sonali Mohapatra of Bhubaneswar, who was slotted for third segment of the festival, presented two from his repertoire. One was traditional Pallavi to which he added a stuti on Jagannath to make an auspicious beginning of his recital in raga Ananda Bhairavi and two a ode to Shiva through a composition titled Astashambhu. The first being in Raga Ananda Bhairavi-Eka tali and the other in raga Mallkosh and Tripata taal.

Satya Prakash Sahoo struck a excellent balance between the Laasya elements of Odissi dance and his tandava interpretation on the eight forms of Shiva. The bhangima in his pallavi with tribhangis and chowks wonderfully brought out the grammar of the form, while he emoted with such vibrancy while depicting the various leelas of Shiva through fleeting unfoldment of the stories. He proved that dance is not a prerogative of women, just like the great male masters did in his style of classical dance.

Harshini Purushotham, Bharatanatyam artiste, disciple of Vid. K. Sandesh Bhargav, commenced with a Melaprapti conjoined with ‘Eka Shloki Ramayana’ in Aadi tala and concluded with a Kanakadasa devarnama ‘Baagilanu teredu’ set to Khandachapu tala. Both dance numbers were in Ragamalike.

Harshini was at her sprightliest best. The fast paced entry in her opening item made the audience to straighten up to watch her further, with the same  excitement that she entered the stage. The position of the limbs at any given point of the dance composition was just perfect in all its technicality. Her encapsulating the entire ‘Ramayana’ in the short verses was captivating.

Equally impressive was her rendition of the devarnama stirring pour souls in tune with Kanakadasa’s desire to have a glimpse of Krishna. The sancharis of Gajendra moksha and Narasimha weaved into the narrative was performed with élan. While audience wondered if they have to leave the show without the excitement of tillana, it settled to leave with a bout of devotion to savour for a long night to come.

With an overdose of Dasara cultural events that just concluded, prekshakas yet turned up for the festival, despite the rains, to a full house, proving good organisation and good selection of artistes do entice again and again.