How students of three well-known dance schools in Chennai came together to celebrate Shakti

Celebrating the power of Shakti through dance

Three miniature dance dramas unfolded in quick succession at the Aadi Natya Samarpanam, held under the aegis of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore. The well-curated works, celebrating the Tamil month of Aadi, were an outcome of the coming together of creative minds.

Deepa Ganesh, artistic director, Upasana, brought together three senior teachers — Sheela Unnikrishnan, Jayanthi Subramaniam and Anita Guha — hailing from different lineages, to present a colourful garland for the goddess in her varying forms.

Deepa’s arduous research, under the guidance of Tamil scholar S. Raghuraman, seamlessly unravelled the intricacies of the art form as if one took a time travel from the interiors of Tamil Nadu to its stylistic urbanised form and presentation.

A charming group of dancers from Sheela Unnikrishnan’s Sridevi Nrithyalaya presented ‘Aadi Aasarippu’ as an ode to Shakti. The costumes, and the props used established a rural flavour. Particularly, the recorded music, transported one to a Amman temple in a village.

While the folk dance Kummi ushered in the Aadi celebrations, the dancers concluded their performance with Karagatam. Despite a few slips in the group patterns, the rigorous training and practice were evident in the presentation. Both the Kavuthuvam and the edited version of Andal’s union with her lord lent a perfect start to the evening.

Classicism marked the presentation by the students of Jayanthi Subramaniam.

‘The Goddess Across Time’ showcased Her glory from the Sangam period to Meenakshi Pillai Tamizh (17th century). The choreography eulogised Devi’s power, bravery, and victorious trail. Warfare and weaponry were strikingly portrayed through vibrant rhythm, deftly played by mridangist M.S. Sukhi.