Aryamba Sriram’s Bharatanatyam performance was a mix of talent and training

Aryamba Sriram chose sowkhyam over speed to add beauty to her performance.
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

It was rather unusual to begin a performance with ‘Amba neelambari’, a composition by Ponniah Pillai in raga Nilambari, instead of an alarippu and a mallari. Aryamba Sriram began her performance for The Music Academy HCL concerts with this beautiful song addressed to the goddess. Choreographed by Leela Samson, it set the tone for the evening.

The sancharis describing the beautiful form of Amba, the one with lotus-shaped eyes and whose benevolent gaze would ward of negativity, was a blend of subtlety and dramatic portrayal. The leisurely pace at which the song was sung enhanced the appeal. The adavus were marked by clarity.

Popular song

The ragamalika varnam depicted a Khandita nayika besotted by Shiva and pleading her sakhi to go and fetch him. This musical masterpiece by Dhandayuthapani Pillai is a popular choice of dancers since it gives immense scope to showcase their abhinaya prowess. Aryamba’s performance of the piece was marked by finesse both in nritta and abhinaya.

The two compositions that followed were interesting for the contrasting emotions of the heroines they portrayed. The Kshetrayya padam ‘Emani telupudu’ in raga Anandabhairavi was about the nayika experiencing the pangs of separation and recalling moments spent with Venugopala. Establishing the sthayi bhava of the nayika through subtle details, the piece beautifully wove an array of emotions, conveyed well by Aryamba. The mental state of a nayika reacting to her man’s infidelity came through in the dancer’s every move and stance in the Saveri raga javali, ‘Mutta vadhura’, composed by Chinniah. Both the pieces were choreographed by Bragha Bessel.

A Surutti thillana by Oothukadu Venkatakavi, choreographed by K. P. Rakesh, was the concluding piece.

Srikanth Gopalakrishnan’s melodic singing accompanied by Kiran Pai on the mridangam, K.P. Nandini on the violin, Muthukumar on the flute and K. P. Rakesh on the nattuvangam made the performance more enjoyable.

Aryamba made an impact by choosing saukhyam over speed.