Jyothismathi’s melodious voice was poignant. With minimal movement and set in an unhurried pace, the music and the mood was allowed to wash over you. The philosophical message was conveyed through angika abhinaya - the graphic use of limbs, not the traditional gestural language of Bharatanatyam. A Surdas poem ‘Vrikshana se mati le’ (Madhuvanti) spoke about the selfless tree that continues to give shade, flowers, fruits despite being ill-treated. Ramesh Babu on mridangam, Jyothismathi Sheejith on vocal, and Easwar Ramakrishnan on the violin. It was an exciting choreography by Sheejith as the complex rhythm unfolded with each theermanam, with sollus matching the drums. The Yatis were presented through Shiva Ananda Tandavam in ‘Ananda koothadum pada malar kanden’ (lyrics by Nirmala Nagarajan, music composition by S.
It begins with a few syllables, builds up, then returns to the original number. An example is the Mridanga Yati that looks like a mridanga drum.
Next was a keerthana on Yati, a concept in tala, where rhythmic syllables are organised in a geometric pattern that create shapes when written. The ideas can actually take attention away from the dancer, and hence requires a strong performance to prevent this. This is how Sheejith expresses himself, through traditional language but through unconventional ideas. The phalasruti regarding attainment of Shivaloka was taken as an illusion, and just as a curtain hides the deity, the hands in pataka hasta moved in front of the face. The piece went beyond a literal translation of the descriptive sloka, to show the uncoiling of the energy pathway through the chakras to the top of the head, to realisation. Girish presented Adi Sankara’s Shiva Panchakshara Stuthi in ragamalika, (music composition Kodayanallur Venkataraman) with imagery based on the concept of the Pancha Kritya (five functions of Nataraja’s dancing posture) from Thirumandiram. A little more energy would have made his portrayal more convincing. Although Sheejith’s style remains the same, adapting to his unique choreographic interpretations was a challenge for Girish, but he rose to the occasion with a flawless performance. He is also part of Kalakshetra’s faculty, and has been working with dancer-choreographer Sheejith Krishna, a former faculty and alumnus. The lanky Girish Madhu has a serene stage presence, which is why he plays Rama. So it was rather difficult to view them as soloists. Three artistes, Girish Madhu, Sreedevi Jayakrishnan and Janet James, who presented Bharatanatyam, were all alumni of Kalakshetra, whom we have earlier seen playing major roles in their alma mater’s dance productions. Kalakshetra’s ‘Yuva Nritya Utsav’ featured several Indian classical dance styles.
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