Sisters Bhavana and Yamini Reddy performed a Kuchipudi piece depicting how Shiva and Vishnu are related. Utpal K Banerjee speaks to the dancers
Immediately on the south of the Vindhyas and on the shores of the Bay of Bengal lie the rugged lands of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh that are incredibly rich in their cultural features. Known from the beginnings of the first millennium, Kuchipudi is as ancient as the Natya Shastra in which mention was made of a dance-drama form besides solo. An invocatory verse to Shiva also indicated that four forms of dance were prevalent then, of which Dakshintya (south Indian form) was apparently the earliest version of Kuchipudi.
Over centuries, as performances were dedicated to the worship of Vishnu, the form came to be known as Bhagavata Mela Natakam and was also strongly influenced by the folk-theatre of Yakshsa-gana. During Siddhendra Yogi’s time, in the 14th-15th century, the genre came to be known as Kuchipudi: named after the village established by Siddhendra Yogi where his followers — the dancing Brahmins — settled down. Although women were debarred initially from dance due to ritual reasons, today the gender distinction is happily no more true.
Advitiyam, the recent Kuchipudi dance by the winsome sisters, Yamini Reddy and Bhavana Reddy, only proved the point. They broke the male preserve by taking on the dual divinity, Shiva and Vishnu, to centre on the concept: Advitiyam Advaitam (He is the only one, without a second). The theme endearingly made the point that Vishnu is the heart of Shiva and, like-wise, Shiva the heart of Vishnu.
The beginning was a scintillating Annaamcharya Keertana, sung by MS Subbulakshmi: “I meditate on that great light which has neither beginning nor end, which is the real meaning of philosophy, which is the only one form of holy knowledge, which is the blissful fourth state, and which is the form of ultimate truth...” Yamini and Bhavana alternated as Shiva and Vishnu, establishing their non-duality beyond any doubt.
Next came Yamini as Shiva in a traditional composition in raga Paraju. Shiva is the cosmic dancer whose dance animates the entire universe from within. His dance leads the viewers out of chaos into calm meditation as the supreme acetic. As a hermit he dances alone, in splendid isolation. The moods — especially Tandava (virility), Karanas (body-limb postures) and Navarasa (nine emotions) — were very well-captured. Then appeared Bhavana as a lissome Krishna in Kaliya Nartana in raga Gambhira Nadai. The flit-footed pastoral God was seen in a frolicking mood against the venomous serpent.
In the penultimate item, there was a delightful Raas lila where Shiva was keen to watch Krishna having dalliance with milk-maids in Maha Raas in multiple manifestations. Parvati had put a gopi attire on Shiva’s person to hide his identity, but Krishna instantly recognised him. After some fun and frolics, Shiva’s upper attire came off, to everybody’s enjoyment. The finale was a well-orchestrated tarangam (plate-dance) by both Yamini and Bhavana with a Kurma Purana hymn: Shambho Mahadevaya, Ambuja-nayana Narayanaya…. The lyric narrated a mythical episode around the death-bed of Adi Shankara’s mother, when the saint was sent from Shiva to Vishnu for solace. The curtains came down to an appreciative applause to the youthful duo.
Extracts from interaction with Yamini Reddy:
How was the programme conceivedIJ
It was based on my research on the dual divinities, Shiva and Vishnu, whom I gradually discovered to be so non-dual in the ultimate analysis. It was a revelation to come across the paeans of praise that have been composed and sung on their unitary nature!
Both Shiva and Vishnu — as Krishna — are dancers, aren’t theyIJ
Absolutlely. Shiva is Nataraj, who dances for his inner self, for his own pleasure, regardless of onlookers. Krishna, in contrast, dances for the outer world, for pleasing his devotees, to deliver them from evil.
How about the choreographyIJ
Choreography has been by our father Raja Reddy. When, for instance, I brought out the first Keertana, he enthusiastically choreographed for the entire Subbulakshmi song. The other items were also by him, with liberal inputs from my sister and myself.
Extracts from interaction with Bhavana Reddy:
Yamini and you seem to have natural dance-inclinations for Shiva and Vishnu respectively …
You’re right. Since her childhood, my elder sister has been dancing to our father’s four-decade-old choreography of Shiva, while I’ve always been ardent to present Krishna in public.
With your years of study abroad, you still seem to be quite confident as a traditional dancer…
I take my classical background very seriously. Once I was on stage, I felt possessed and light-footed enough.
But, since you compose and sing Western music, how do you manageIJ
Heeding to the advice of my Indian gurus, I keep up my practice of Carnatic songs and Kuchipudi steps even when I am relaxing or walking. They remain an unremitting endeavour!