An evening of Kalidasa

CHENNAI: It was an exhilarating experience to watch Ritu Samahara, an event that showcased six different dance styles performed to the lyrics of Mahakavi Kalidasa in Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. Priya Venkataraman, Paromita Moitra, Jayaprabha Menon, Bimbavathi Devi, Deepika Reddy, Parwati Dutta and other co-artists portrayed the eternal phases of human life and the natural world with acute poetic senses. Every season has its charm and so with dance forms, six seasons were shown to the audience with respect to Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Mohiniattam, Manipuri, Kuchipudi and Odissi. The opening was vibrant with all dancers in their royal attires. First was Priya’s Bharatanatyam depicting Grishma (summer). Her chirpy expressions and movements flowed harmoniously with a balancing act from supporting artists. Next was Paromita’s Kathak, displaying Varsha (monsoon). The dance mergest into an extension of her body. Jayaprabha Menon performed a Mohiniattam that vividly illustrated Sharad (autumn). Her broad eyes defined the play and her fellow artistes did the season equal justice. Bimbavathi’s Manipuri style evidenced Hemanta (early winter). Though Chennaiites are not used to Manipuri, her performance had the audience hooked till the end. In fact, the music enhanced each sequence. Kuchipudi by Deepika Reddy came out with feminism that has largely found its ingenious expressions through literature. The high spirited artiste illustrated Shishira (late winter) with immense possibilities of love and compassion. The concluding piece was Parwati Dutta’s Odissi that brought the essence of Vasantha (spring). The danseuse’s spontaneity showed her involvement in arts. When every season’s depiction got over, the co-artists made relevance to the existing moods. The dancers choreographed their own moves, while Kathak maestro, Pandit Birju Maharaj donned the role of musician, director and also conceptualised the show. Saswati Sen assisted with co-ordination. The theme of the work showed a clear coherence from the traditional concepts of various dance forms as an ode to the poet Kalidasa. Though initial steps were disrupted due to power cuts, the team has brilliantly built the rhythmic dialogues with imagination of seasons.