A spectacular dual arangetram showcasing mastery in Bharatanatyam

Hans India

27-05-2025

Ravindra Bharathi on Friday evening was the venue for a spectacular dual arangetram presented by Shreenidhi Ramaswamy and Shivani Nambiar. Shankarananda Kalakshetra, directed by Padmashri Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant, has yet again created a tour de force out of these 44th and 45th debut performances.
Graceful and expressive in dance, Shreenidhi exemplifies a harmonious blend of artistic, athletic, and academic excellence. In sports, she has taken up hockey and basketball, achieving proficiency. She is currently studying engineering at BITS Pilani. Shivani is a passionate dancer with charisma and stage presence. Artistic sensibility is reflected in her interest in creating intricate Mandala artwork. She is presently pursuing CA and engaged in her articleship.
The imaginative touch of their guru, Dr. Ananda Shankar, was evident in the idea of framing the grouped items in a manner so as to evolve a unified thematic structure. Both artistes were tall and looked imposing in their colorful aharya. The sheen of gold-bordered silk brocades combined aesthetically with the glitter of elegantly ornamented jewellery, which was a treat to the audience.
An immersive experience into the magical worlds of Shiva and Vishnu unfolded—a virtual pilgrimage of bliss to sacred realms and temples through the medium of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music led by the devotional poetry of Vaggeyakaras was provided and enjoyed!
The God of dance, Nataraja, and Devi Parvati were propitiated in the first segment—'Parvati Shankara Namostute.' The opening Pushpanjali in Amritavarshini by Sattiraju Venumadhav was an item symbolizing the offering of flowers to the Lord, paying respects to the Guru, orchestra, and spectators. As the dancers circled the stage with hands raised in gestures of salutation, even this simple piece was made into a bravura demonstration of skill, raising expectations for the more complex items which followed.
The lilting 'Parvati Ninnu Ne' of Syama Sastry was in the format of combined jathiswaram and sabdam. Parvati Devi is invoked, being described as the sister of Vishnu, the mother of the universe, Kamakshi who abides in the Kamakoti Peetham. Both dancers eloquently displayed through dance the lovely form of the Goddess holding a parrot and the plea that she should shun indifference to succour the devotee who has kept complete trust in her.
The famed varnam of Papanasam Sivan in Nattakurinji was the magnum opus. The cosmic dancer Nataraja is prayed to as Ardhanareeswara, Gangadhara, Chandrasekhara, Pinakapani—each name signifying his illustrious attributes. The ardent poet is to be embraced without delay in the grace of the Lord for whom, filled with love, he yearns. Utmost happiness is attained with a single glimpse of his sacred dancing feet. A triumph of nritta, natya, and abhinaya merging perfectly to form a magnificent unison evoked tremendous applause. Arabesques, loops, and curlicues of movements were done with bravado to create striking patterns of spatial choreographic art.
The next part of the recital was 'Pancha Vaishnava Kshetra Darshanam.' One hundred and eight in number, the most holy shrines of Vishnu are scattered throughout our country, and five of them were represented. The compositions in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Sanskrit were like a garland made up of carefully selected choice blossoms proffered to the Lord.
At Tirumala, Annamayya sings the glory of Lord Venkateshwara in 'Ettunerchitivaya' in Mayamalavagowla. The Lord is questioned as to how he learned to ride so many vehicles—eagle, horse, chariot, and palanquin—which were delicately depicted by the dancers as these myriad vahanas were used by the Lord in travel.
Arunachala Kavi's lyrical 'En Pallikonder Ayya' in Mohanam, a dazzling solo by Shreenidhi, expressed the astonishment of the poet at the reclining posture of Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam. Is it due to tiredness because of your fight with demons, breaking Shiva's bow, the arduous 14-year exile, or the killing of the golden deer?
'Baro Krishnayya' of Kanakadasa in ragamalika was a brilliant solo performed by Shivani, seeking the beautiful countenance of the incomparable Krishna of Udupi, who appears with tinkling armlets playing the flute.
After their respective solos, both dancers were again together for the rest of the pieces in matching harmony. Their impeccable sense of laya and tala made for fluid and flowing motions along with clear lines denoting able precision in anga shuddhi. 'Oru Neramenkilum' portrayed the divine shining form of Guruvayurappa adorned with peacock feathers whose abhishekam is glimpsed.
A crisp thillana in Dhanashri, eulogizing Lord Padmanabha with rhythmic footwork and statuesque poses, was followed by the concluding mangalam.
Lighting by Surya Rao was top-notch as he conjured up pyramids of multicoloured lights to surround the dancers. Nattuvangam by Dr.Ananda Shankar was lucid and resonant in every syllable. Sweta Prasad shone surpassingly on the vocals; violin by Sai Kolanka, flute by Uma Venkateswarulu, and mridangam by Balasubramaniam were as professionally competent as ever. Dr. Rajeswari Sainath and Shri Mithun Shyam graced the occasion as guests.