Art lovers in the city were fortunate enough to be part of a few precious moments as the dancers of Prasiddha Dance Repertory enchanted them at the Delhi International Arts Festival with their dexterity. By S S Balan
The dancers were like flowers in a garland; their hands and bodies moving in a rhythm and created an imaginary Brindavan, where the young Krishna and Gopikas engaged in fun and frolic. And the charm was infectious and adorable.They sprang a pleasant surprise on the audience with their elegantly vibrant choreography, never missing a beat and perfectly in tandem with each other’s moves. It was nothing short of a perfect offering of utmost devotion to Krishna.
The opening performance choreographed by Prathiba Prahlad, was a Carnatic song Sama Gana lolane in raga Hindolam, which depicted the ten avatars (incarnation) of lord Vishnu and particularly infused with praises of lord Krishna. Presented in Sanchari Bhava, the dashavatars (ten incarnations), included the nine rasas — essential emotions or sentiments. The dancers blended perfectly with the feel of the rendition and conveyed the emotions to a watchful audience with ease through their emblematic and charming moves.
From rasaleela to kaliya mardan and finally thandavam, the glorious episode of lord Krishna’s life was gorgeously presented with Sama Gana lolane. The male dancers captivated the viewers with rigorous moves while their female counterparts imbibed the essence of lasya with grace and beauty.
Being a group performance, the treatment of the choreography was precise and concise with a single cameo pose, not to mention that it excluded abhinaya as it would dilute the mood. The moves were cameo poses which the dancers did with perfection. The entire mood was felt in that cameo pose, whether it was the Matsya or Kurma or any other avatar. Each cameo depicted the mood of the entire avatar.
And finally there was the Geeta updesh with Krishna and his friend Arjuna. In Geeta updesh, the audience could see in split seconds the different avatars of Krishna from childhood to Godhood and to Geeta updesh, the entire garnet of Krishna’s life. Carnatic music was presented in jugal bandi for Geeta updesh and that earned appreciation from the audience.
The second and the concluding performance was sargam in which Hindustani music was used for Bharatanatyam. A rare combination of both, sargam had a different appeal. The music was composed in Hindustani Kirwani raga and the choreography was done with jathis, a pattern that gives us the basic feel of Thalam, in perfect line. Meant for a global audience, the repertoire has all the aesthetic elements woven together to make the ensemble appealing for all.
There was aesthetics in the presentations, stillness and energy, grace and subtlety backed by solid dance grammar. It created new meaning, new formations and defining moments of dance that encapsulates the essence.