Brisk footwork
ANJANA RAJAN
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The disciples of Chitra Visweswaran presented a well-coordinated performance.
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A group of students of Chitra Visweswaran gave a competent performance showcasing her choreographic works recently at the Kartik Fine Arts' festival at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan auditorium. The veteran Bharatanatyam dancer could not be present on the occasion due to the illness of her husband, well-known santoor player and composer R. Visweswaran, and the programme was conducted by the disciples. Showing their gratitude and concern for their gurus, they selected several dance numbers that had been set to music by Visweswaran.
Beginning with an Anjali in ragamalika, laced with group formations and brisk footwork, they went on to a Ganga Kautuvam, an unusual composition that combined abstract and representational imagery. These were group works, as were the extracts from "Dwarakanatham Bhaje," a choreographic production by Chitra Visweswaran.
Adding variety was the duet, "Sama Gana Lola", a kriti of G.N. Balasubramaniam. In this composition, the two dancers combined to create an Ardhanarishwara effect - the female dancer using her left hand to display accoutrements of Shakti while the male stood directly behind her and used his right hand. While some of the postures worked, at times the movements seemed too contrived, though this may have been a problem arising from a different use of lights than originally envisaged by the choreographer. Adjustment to a different stage may have been instrumental in making some of the group formations look crowded too.
The programme came to an end with a brisk tillana in the raga Rasikapriya, followed by a mangalam of Annamacharya, both set to music by Visweswaran. As is the trend these days, the choreography contained lots of speedy footwork with jatis. The dancers gave a spirited account of themselves. Simple costuming in identical colours, in the `demonstration' style rather than the usual tailored Bharatanatyam costume gave the performance an appealing, homogeneous look.
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