A Bharatanatyam recital that caught one’s interest this dance season was by young Chitra Lakshmanan, a disciple of Guru Srekala Bharath, at Bharat Kalachar. The first piece ‘Sri Ganapathinee’ showed that she is skilled in both nritta and abhinaya, though she has to take these much further. In this piece, sancharis were woven into the theme of the nayika in love with the Lord of the Seven Hills. Putting across a varnam almost entirely through skype is challenging for both the learner and the teacher. Nattuvangam by Srekala Bharath, Chitrambari Krishnakumar (vocal), Sigamani (violin), and Dhananjayan (mridangam) provided excellent support.

Source: The Hindu January 26, 2017 09:34 UTC