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LEMONT, Ill.
Natya Dance Theatre (NDT) students enacted “Rama’s Childhood” (Baala-Kaandam) through Bharata Natyam set to pertinent songs of saintly musician-composer Thyagaraja. NDT artistic director Hema Rajagopalan presented her choreography here at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) as the packed culminating show of the first day of the Thyagaraja Festival, May 23.
“Rajagopalan spared no effort in training the young dancers, who maintained impeccable synchrony in their movements. Her choreography had many brilliant and innovative touches that kept the narration moving along briskly. Costumes were simple yet elegant, in keeping with the whole production. It was genuinely refreshing to experience the Ramayana through Thyagaraja’s music and Rajagopalan’s choreography. She made creative use of several compositions (kriti), many in full, to develop the story line,” Naperville-based fellow dance-teacher Shoba Natarajan told Desi Talk as she shared her many observations below.
Thyagaraja’s operas such as “Prahlada Bhakthi Vijayam” and “Nauka Charithram” are eminently suitable for dance ballets. He composed many kritis in praise of Lord Rama but, unlike Arunachala Kavirayar with his Rama Natakam, none based on Ramayana itself. Harikatha (storytelling) exponent Balakrishna Sashtrigal and other scholars have woven some of Thyagaraja’s kritis into a narration of this epic.
The refrain “Vara Narada Narayana” (Vijayashri ragam-Adi talam) presented Lava and Kusa (Rama’s twin sons) as the narrators (sutra-dhara), who briefly introduced each scene. The English commentary on each scene was lucid. The performance proper opened with the auspicious “Sri Ganapathini” (Sowrashtram-Adi) rendered as an energetic group dance. “Ramabhi Rama” (Darbar-Misra Chapu) depicted Kausalya’s maternal love (vaatsalyam) for Rama. The four young brothers—Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna—learning Vedas and archery as apprentices under rishi Vasishta were presented next in pure dance.
Setting their dialogue to “Nannu Vidachi Kadalakura” (Reetigowla-Misra Chapu) highlighted, in contrast, Vishwamitra’s stubbornness and Dasaratha’s anguish at sons Rama and Lakshmana departing. In the forest, Vishwamitra ceremoniously wakes up the two sleeping princes with a brief “Kausalya Supraja Rama” followed by a doting “Meluko Dayanidhi” (Sowrashtram-Rupakam). The slaying of demoness Tataka featured a dramatic interplay of jatis (rhythmic syllables).
The rare kriti “Vachamagocharame” (Kaikavasi-Desadi) and “Gurulekha Etuvanti” (Gowrimanohari – Misra Chapu) depicted the guru-disciple relationship between Vishwamitra and Rama. Ahalya’s fleeting liaison with Indra was creatively choreographed to a dreamy Rasikapriya jatiswaram (dance movements alternating with swara patterns), composition of Lalgudi Jayaraman. Spurned by her irate husband, sage Gautama, the unwitting ‘adulteress’ sings “Aparadhamulanorva” (Rasali-Adi). Literally petrified, Ahalya is released by the magic touch of Rama’s foot, her gratitude beautifully captured by “Nannu Palimpa Nadachi Vachitivo” (Mohanam-Adi).
The grand swarajathi (jatiswaram with meaningful lyrics) “Tarijham ritajham” in Thodi was a novel way to portray Sita and friends playing ball in her terrace. A brisk jati “Tarittakka” heralded her entrance. Rama and Sita’s momentary encounter when “their eyes meet” inspires jubilant Sita to burst into “Kanukontini” (Bilahari-Adi). Her marriage (svayamvaram) scene offered brilliant and comic performances by aspiring suitors, including Ravana. Their differing characteristics were illustrated by a medley of ragas, with Shivaranjani finally evoking king Janaka’s anxiety as to finding his daughter a suitable bridegroom. After the breaking of the bow, a grand wedding scene unfolded with traditional songs like “Anandam anandam,” the swing (oonjal) song “Oyyalaloogavaiya” (Neelambari-Kanda Chapu) and a colorful dance with sticks (kummi) performed to the song “Nagumomu” (Madhyamavathi-Adi).
Kritis for this production, which premiered in 1994, were selected in consultation with Balakrishna Shastrigal and choreography has mostly remained the same. “I was extremely pleased with the dancing and abhinaya (gestural representation),” Rajagopalan, who is typically demanding of her students, told Desi Talk.
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