Bharatiya classical dance has a spiritual flavour to it. But when maestros perform, it is simply mesmerising 
Usha Rk
Bharata Natyam is synonymous with the traditionalist Vyjayanthimala Bali who with an inborn sensitivity and spirituality has been peerless. This octogenarian has held on to the heritage and purity of Bharata Natyam invincibly. Amongst many of her most successful performances it’s probably her etching the works of the Thirrupavai and the role of Andal that stands out with dintinction.
If one wanted to recollect lightening like footwork with an ultimate control in making a single ghungroo ring and go one up to creating a cascading melodious effect through the feet, interlacing expressions that could make a young maiden almost shy and the heart swoon, it was only possible while experiencing the dance of Birju Maharaj. The simplicity with which he would communicate the most inexplicable Indian philosophy, portraying the naughtiness of a child hero and the soul yearning for the Lord through the rendering of his Bhajans makes him the most respected and loved exponent of our times.
If Pandit Birju Maharaj showed us how brides hid their faces within their ghoonghats, it was something else to believe this extremely beautiful and arrogant Satyabhama, a simple Telugu Brahmin villager from Kuchipudi, who took India by storm when he entered the national stage. Vedantam Satyanarayana Sharma’s mannerisms, costumes, characterisation, makeup, jewellery all of these contributed in creating a mesmeric Satyabhama. His portrayal of the feminine characters was enhanced by his innate sense of emotional expression highlighting every moment whether it is hasya or karuna. The multitudinous emotions of the character of Satyabhama ranging from utter arrogance to sarcastic pathos to attitudinal yearning to finally submerging in to desolation.
While we are on Kuchipudi, this vivacious style has given us some path-breaking choreographer Gurus and performers who stole the hearts of art lovers.
She emoted like very few could. Her energy, strength and sponge like memory, grace and an aggressiveness that struck the audiences like an Astra that demolished one completely. Yamini Krishnamurthy is kuchipudi and kuchipudi is Yamini Krishnamurthy. Dance gives the dancer an opportunity to communicate and Yamini took the opportunity by the horns performing with authenticity and convincing credibility retaining the stamp of Kuchipudi loud and clear.
Known to be a fire brand dancer who traversed the length and breadth of any stage like a gazelle, Yamini Krishnamurthy’s energy on stage often left every one in awe and surprise. Her signature item where she cajoled, requested and ordered Lord Krishna to come to her was a masterpiece.
Chitra Visveswaran – bringing to an otherwise calculative precision like style, the beauty of lyrics and melody was the contribution of Chitra Visweswaran to the Vazhavoor Bani. It is probably the spiritual approach in communicating even the most simple concepts of Indian philosophy that transformed Chitra’s susscessful performances, her visualisation and choreography specially of composers like meera, purandara dasa amongst others changed the style of presenting the Bhakti aspect in dance. At the same time her interpretations of the varied emotions while dealing with shringara were very close to real experiences. While many of Chitra Visweswaran’s items were widely appreciated and amongst them being the Lalgudi Jayaraman composed Varnam ‘innum yenn manum ariyavara pol’ in Charukesi raga, her masterpiece item has always been the popular Kannada devaranama ‘jagadodharana aadisidale yashoda’ the personification of the mother who rocked the cradle of the god himself and how she as the mother was completely unaware of this while bringing him up, going on to eventually raise the audiences to a spiritual level is the most sought after by students of dance.
If one wanted to experience the most subtle delineation of the nine emotions or Navarasa in a style that is not the most subtle with make up that is more than suggestive is the doyen of Kathakali Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair. Krishnan Nair had a penchant for realistic portrayal of characters and situations that made him more popular. With his calibre to perform any challenging role and a flexible mindset that prompted him to occasionally do minor roles (with some new elements), Krishnan Nair was probably the pioneering Kathakali artiste who was a hardcore professional—in the sense that he was the arguably the first to dictate the rate for each of his performances. It was a watershed move in an art form that had huge feudal hangovers and its entailing element of servility that patrons expected from the artistes. His ability to stay in the expression especially when he was photographed for Marg publications or the numerous other publications on dance. He began with the facial expressions of the rasa and then went on to associate the rasa with an episode from mythology. Each of the rasa whether it was shringara, Veera, roudra, bhibhatsa, Karuna, adbhuta, haasya, bhayanaka or Shanta each one was delineated with a relaxed pace taking us through the expression using the eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, chin, ears too and then gradually using the arms, chest, hands and then introducing the movement of the body in steps and stances through adavus that portray the rasa to absolute perfection. A veritable experience for the connoisseur and uninitiated.
(The writer is a Delhi-based Arts consultant)
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