Ramya Ramnarayana presented a programme of Bharatanatyam for Kartik Fine Arts at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on the 26th December.

An Old student of late Swamimalai K Rajaratnam, she has managed to retain her hold on chaste Bharatanatyam of his brand, inspite of being in the US for the past decade or so. This speaks well of the foundation he laid, and also her taste and loyalty. This is noticeable in the choice of her items, costume, choreography and execution.

No. She is not a tarnished mirror of the past but an enterprising innovator who knows how to combine the oldest of adavus in new patterns to create a surge of joy in the minds of traditionalists, retaining the ability to please those who want something new.

She had ample help from her accompanists. Nandini Anand's singing had the flavour of Carnatic essence, without gamaka that hampers dance. Not only in Tamil but also in the demanding 600 year old Telugu of Annamacharya, her enunciation was clear. Sajilal's nattuvangam correctly parsed the jathikorvais, and through the songs, maintained an easy gait. Haribabu's mrindangam was light and loud, as per the requirement and showed how he makes his playing serve dance. Vijayaraghavan was on the violin, contributing his mite to the musical magic.

The traditional opening number was Sivan's 'Gajavadana' spritely and auspicious, providing space for a number of Ganesa stances. Yes, the left arm raised to show an uplifted trunk, could have been a little more curved.

The varnam by K N Dandayudhapani Pillai, in nine ragas, 'Samiayai azhaittodi' was a joy to hear and see. Ramya's svelte figure, delicately nuanced abhinaya, always clear but never heavy-handed, illumined the piece. The tanam came about as a natural corollary, a perch for billing and cooing love birds, an augury of rain for the peacock to shiver into ecstatic dance. These images are age old. Ramya brought them a fresh colour, a relaxed beauty. Here too, two minor corrections were needed, the slight leap before showing the birds was not logical. Visually, the peacock's unfurling fan should have had the hands not straight above the head, but slightly lower down, bent at the elbows.

Nit-picking? Yes. The distance between good and great dancing isn't a mile but a millimetre. An artist's constant endeavour should be to achieve perfection, knowing fully well that it is unattainable. Also, the depiction of Siva with his bow, brought to mind the stance one associates with Rama. An examination of C.Sivaramamurthi's celebrated book on Nataraja, will provide ample cues to show Siva with his Saranga in a manner that is both different from Rama and yet distinct as Siva.

Tallapaka Annamacharya's 'Paluku tenela talli' in Abheri outlined most melodiously by Nedunuri, is a combination of the handmaidens' concern for Padmavathi, with the highly charged eroticism that ignited between the divine lovers. Ramya's pastel shades kept the passion lucid but within taste.

Oothukkadu's 'Vishamakara Kannan' is a paean to the bliss that is another name for the child Krishna. The folk motif combed onto the comic, was a terrific combo. The thillana of Lalgudi in Yamankalyani, began with jathis, flowed spick and span through taxing rhythmical sequences.

Her dance was an example of how beautiful Bharathanatyam can be, without losing its traditional glow.

V A K Ranga Rao
Dec 29^th 2008

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