Kaliveerapathiran, 04 January 2023 at The Music Academy’s Dance Festival. Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
Kali Veerapatheran, who won the Music Academy’s ‘Spirit of Youth’ award a few years ago, lived up to expectations with her performance at the 2023 Dance Festival. He started with an alaripu in the third jathi ekka tala. From Natyarambam’s stance, his footwork was notable for its precision and clarity.
Bharatanatyam performance by Kaliveerapathiran at The Music Academy’s Dance Festival on 04 January 2023. Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
For the varnam, Kali chose to explore ‘Omkara Pranava’, a composition of M. Balmerli Krishna’s Shanmukhapriya raga. He envisioned the power and resonance of sound that resides in all matter in the universe. The stories of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were combined without unnecessary drama. The jathi danced with great enthusiasm, but the gyrations had no effect.
Bharatanatyam performance by Kaliveerapathiran at The Music Academy’s Dance Festival on 04 January 2023. Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
Viewing the Khanditha Nayaka from a masculine perspective, Kali adopted Padma ‘Senchinvanan’ for Abhinaya from the Ashtanaikan concept developed by her Guru Nirmala Nagarajan. The hero’s anger at the heroine’s indifference was shown through an interesting plot – the destruction of the picture by splashing paint on it. Kali danced with conviction, but, somehow, the notion of a male perspective in this Padma seemed counterintuitive. Ashtapadi ‘Preye Charosheel’ has given ample scope to portray the different shades of love between Radha and Krishna, and Kali’s expressions were captivating. He concluded his recitation in an impressive manner.
