She did not stop with whatever she had learnt. Students and senior artists of various classical styles in India and abroad trained with her to learn and enrich their art. Mami, as she was called by all who knew her, revolutionized the approach to Abhinaya. Soon students of several Gurus gravitated towards her to be let into the secret of the art of abhinaya. She picked up effortlessly where she left off.
If Bala, Kamala and Rukmini Devi brought about the Renaissance of Bharatanatyam in the forties, it was Kalanidhi Narayanan, who was the sole driving force behind the revival of Abhinaya from the seventies.Īn incredible come back it was, after a hiatus of more than thirty years since she gave up dance altogether.
Mooshika vahana bharatanatyam song full#
Interestingly, Smita trained in ballet and was thus an ideal candidate to inherit the mantle of the Vazhuvoor bani and was fully deserving of the standing ovation she received at the completion of the margam.Was it clairvoyance when they named her Kalanidhi – Treasure of Art? It is unlikely that they lived to see her live up to her name in full measure. This sculpturesque quality became his hallmark and to this he added facile movements to make his dancers look like elegant ballerinas," Guru Sunanda faithful adherence to the principles of this style is unerring. He was the first one to introduce sticking poses in Bharata Natyam. He gave equal importance to Abinaya but his style demanded a certain lilt which was at once dynamic and graceful. This brought to mind a quote about the Vazhavoor style of Bharatanatyam from a leading exponent of Bharatanatyam, Lakshmi Viswanathan about Ramiah Pillai, Guru Rhadha’s teacher and the doyen of this style, "The nritta aspect of Bharata Natyam shone in vibrant vitality throughout Ramiah Pillai's teaching career. The dancers she puts forth are drilled in the classical tradition, in this case the Vazhavoor style of Bharatanatyam in which subtle abinayam, graceful movements, statuesque poses and demanding pure dance sequences are emphasized. Guru Sunanda’s dedication to the art form shines through in each of her students. This whole performance illustrates the importance of the Guru in the dance tradition. The audience at Smita’s arangetram was witnesses to this wonderful musical partnership with violin and veena playing together and then chasing each other in the lively chittaswaram portions. Durga Krishna, stalwarts of the New England Carnatic music scene have performed countless arangetrams together.
The inspired choice of using “thanam” in the “Govardhana Giridhara” episode was particularly powerful. Srirangam Prasanna Venkatesh made his debut to the Boston audience and his voice reverberated around the auditorium with passion and reverence. Much can be said about the incredible orchestra. Smita did full justice to all elements of this piece and the 30 minutes went by in a moment, leaving the audience, like Krishna’s gopis yearning for more. The fast paced chittaswarm gave way to the heart of the piece, three pivotal points in Krishna’s life, as a kind young boy, a loyal and dear friend to Sudama and finally the highly charged and emotional Draupadi vastraharanam. Smita continued this tradition in full force.
Mooshika vahana bharatanatyam song professional#
Guru Sunanda’s ability to extract the best out of each of her students and present a polished and professional performance is the hallmark of her teaching style. Here the incredible collaboration by Guru Sunanda and her shishya was in evidence. A garland of fast paced stories was presented which was a test of the Smita’s endurance and training. The chittaswaram portion was nonstop action with inspired choreography by Guru Sunanda that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. In one particular interlude, Smita beautifully conveyed all of nature enraptured by the sounds emanating from Krishna’s flute, drawing the audience into his intoxicating music, lulled by the dulcet sounds of Smt.
The interludes of abinaya showcased numerous stories from Lord Krishna’s life. The jatis were vigorous and complex with fast paced movements. Guru Sunanda’s choreography was particularly suited for this young dancer. In place of the traditional varnam, Smita presented a “Saptharatna Krithi” of Oothukadu Venkatasubbaier, Balasarasa Murali, in the Ragam Keeravani where Lord Krishna’s love and compassion to all humanity was depicted.