Natya Darshan Day two: Thoughtfully-structured sessions demonstrated how movement and mime convey the subtleties of language and literature

‘Murugiyal - Tri Yatri’ was a performance-oriented dance seminar , with ample mini-performances. Day 2 was all about spiritual, religious, historical compositions and the gypsy- story, the Kuravanji, etc. They represented Tamil compositions down the ages. Three dancers handled the first session - Tattuva Vazhi Payanam (Philosophical Journey). Sathvikaa Shankar’s ‘Tirumandiram’ verses (researched by Prof. Raghuraman, tuned by Vanathi), picked from the introduction and the tantras, were presented as a quiet devotional offering, along with a well-timed nritta set. Kaushik Champakesan (vocal), Srilakshmi (violin), and Ramshankar Babu (mridangam) require a special mention as Sathvikaa’s accompanists. Aswini Vishwanath presented Prabhandams - from Shaiva and Vaishnava devotional literature in Tamil, by Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Arputha Thiruvanthaathi, Tiruvalangadu patikams) and Aandaal (Nachiyar Thirumozhi). She weaved little storylines with a few verses - Ammaiyar’s devotion to Shiva in ‘Kaadalai’ in a poetic combination of tanam and recitation. The haunting Khamas - ‘Karpooram narumo’ - set the stage for Andaal’s story. Aswini has a rather clear and matter-of-fact style, which, when combined with the layered music (vocals by Kaushik, who also composed the music) and nattuvangam (by Narendra Kumar), added creative imagery. The orchestra got leaner with a one-man-standing orchestra - Kaushik, for Lucrezia Maniscotti ’s work on the ‘Thiruvarutpa’. While her cultural adaptation was complete, there was a perceptible sense of restraint in her - for starters, Lucrezia had no salangai around her ankles or accessories on her, save the rudraksha mala. Lucrezia also had some theatrics up her sleeve. She started with the last lines of the song ‘Kallaarkkum katravarkkum’. Expanding on the idea of joy and divinity, the tanam led into a journey across the seas to see Shiva. She reaches the temple at last, bargains for flowers outside and is awed by the temple gopuram. She runs inside with anticipation to see Ganesha and pays her respects to Shiva, as she expounds Ramalinga Swamigal’s message of universal love, equality. Swarams were executed without the salangai or percussion, a new for us. And as the dancer walked back, she draped herself in a white cloth; in that instant she turned into ‘Vallalar’, the author and famed bhakta - theatrics at its subtlest. Lakshmi Ramaswamy, dancer- researcher in Tamil Lliterature, chose two minor genres to delineate - Thoothu literature, dealing with messengers, people or objects, and Pallu literature, dealing with farmers Lakshmi Ramaswamy , dancer- researcher in Tamil literature, was given two minor genres to delineate - Thoothu literature dealing with messengers, people or objects, and Pallu literature dealing with farmers in the ‘Inivu Thedi Payanam’ - Journey for Ultimate Union-segment. Supported by an excellent orchestra - Ananthraman (violin), Preethi Sethuraman (vocal), Veda Krishnaram (mridangam) - she presented two pieces in 15 minutes. The first, ‘Silambu Vidu Thoodhu’ on Nataraja was written by Prof. Raghuraman, was presented. The PaLLu piece was from the 17 th century ‘Mukkoodar PaLLu’ which was an entertaining segment between two wives of a farmer, banter over their Ishta devatas, Vishnu and Shiva. The segment, though short, was illuminating. The...

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