Celebrating diversity in dance styles

CHENNAI: With its graceful lines and movements, bharathanatyam has been known to lend male classical dancers a touch of femininity . But actor and dancer Vineeth defied any such stereotype with his performance on Monday, which was part of the International Dance Day 2012 celebrations at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. As he essayed a devotee’s journey through Sabarimala, with the voice of singer K J Yesudas in the background, he was the epitome of the strength of a male classical dancer. The celebrations, presented by Utsav Music, brought to the stage different styles of Indian dance, making evident the harmony that styles have with one another.If Vineeth was a fine example of the strength and grace of a male dancer,  actor and dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar, who started the programme, proved that strength was not the strong suit of just male dancers.  In Shankarabharanam, a piece that she choreographed, Rukmini combined high-energy movements with grace. As she told the story explaining the significance of each of Lord Shankara’s (the God of dance) jewellery, she mirrored the emotion that she was enacting, and her eyes danced with the rest of her lithe body each time. Rukmini also proved her versatility with ‘Lucid’, an abstract contemporary piece that portrayed the simple joys that lie in dance and movements. Combining grace with athleticism, Rukmini was a picture of serenity. If Radhika Shurajit’s troupe made an impact with their first performance as a prayer to Lord Ganesha (In Shankar Mahadevan’s voice), their second piece, an intelligent choreography to A R Rahman’s Kannamoochi Yenada from Kandukondein Kandukondein, made the audience sit up and take notice. Performances by dance greats like Jayaprabha  and Manoj (kathakali and mohiniattam), Nirupama and Rajendra (kathak) did not take the sheen off Hot Shoe Dance Company-fame Jeffery Vardon’s contemporary piece. His performance stood out not just because of the vibrant costumes, complex jumps, twists and turns, but also because of sound technique, elegant choreography and dramatic storytelling through postmodern ideas.  A must mention is Nirupama’s brilliant dialogue with rain as part of Varsha, a Kathak composition. The audience responded to each of her actions as she played with the pitter patter of the raindrops with her hands and with the waves of the flute with her feet. Earlier, special guest Jennifer McIntyre, Consul General, US Consulate General, Chennai, conferred dancer Padma Subrahmanyam with the title ‘Utsav Nrithya Ratna’.