ODISSI DANCE RECITAL - RANJANA GAUHAR

Dignity and grace marked the Odissi dance recital by well-known dancer Ranjana Gauhar, at the Narada Gana Sabha, under the auspices of Kartik Fine Arts. Ranjana presented combined choreographic compositions by Guru Kelucharan Mohopatra and Guru M.D.Raut. 'Hymns to Heaven', specially conceived for the well- attended recital, represented some traditional creations from the Odissi repertoire, exploring the link between the senses and the spirit, dance and sculpture.

Wearing a maroon and white odissi costume, Ranjana began the performance with 'Mangalcharan' - Offering of flowers, 'Bhumipranam'- Worship to Mother Earth, and finally, salutations to the Gods, the Guru and the audience. A verse from a Sanskrit poem written by poet Kalidas, in praise of Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of learning) was neatly portrayed. This was a composition by Guru M.D.Raut in Raga Mohana and Ek tala.

The second item was 'Moha Mohi Kishore'- a traditional Oriya song where Radha tells her friend how she suddenly came face-to-face with the moon like Krishna. 'He who lives in her thoughts always, was flustered and confused during the encounter, because of His teasing and funny actions.' An item with tremendous scope for Abhinaya (facial expressions), Ranjana did justice to her role as the confused Radha, though she could have brought a little more vivacity while depicting the pranks of Krishna.

'Pallavi' - a celebration of life. In Odissi, the joy is best presented through the pure dance item Pallavi. It is a dance that blossoms in tender movements, like the tendrils of a creeper. Beginning from simple movements of pure dance, to complicated steps, interwoven with rhythmic syllable. The Pallavi was set in Raga Kirvani and Tala - Rupak. What was different was the slow and unhurried approach in dealing with the rhythmic patterns of the item.

Ranjana concluded with 'Ardhanarishwar' in Raga Mallika and Tala - Mallika. Based on a prayer by Adi Shankaracharya, 'Ardhanarishwar' celebrates the union of male principle - Shiva and the female principle - Parvati - essential for procreation and preservation. Ranjana skillfully handled the Abhinaya passages dealing with the comparison of Parvati and Shiva's appearance - Parvati's fair complexion was compared with that of the Champa flower and Shiva's dark complexion with that of burnt incense.Other portrayals included Parvati wearing bells on her feet and the garland of 'Mandar' flowers around her neck while Shiva entwined his feet with venomous snakes, and had his shoulders embellished with skulls. The various attributes of Shiva, like consuming poison when the Ocean was churned and bearing the force of Ganga in his locks of hair, were beautifully portrayed. This was the best piece in the concert.

The orchestra provided good support. Special mention must be made to the vocalist who sang with involvement, thus enhancing the appeal of the performance. On the whole, the recital was enjoyable and a welcome change from the usual Bharatanatyam fare that Chennai witnesses during the music season.

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