Under the esteemed banner of Kavyaalaya, dancer Kavyaa Kannan delivered a captivating Bharatanatyam recital at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore. Her performance was a shining testament to the rigorous training she received from her gurus, Parvathy Ravi Ghantasala and Bhuvaneswari Koushik, alongside her mother, Veena Kannan.
Kavyaa commenced her program with a traditional invocation to Lord Ganesha, set in the vibrant raga Hamsadhwani and Adi tala. This auspicious beginning seamlessly led into the centerpiece of her performance: the renowned navaragamalika varnam, ‘Saamiyai azhaithodi vaa sakhiye’, a masterpiece composed by K.N. Dhandayudapani Pillai. In this varnam, Kavyaa brilliantly portrayed the Virahotkanditha nayika, a heroine consumed by longing. She eloquently conveyed the nayika’s plea to her companion, urging her to bring back her beloved Shiva, whose matted locks are adorned with the moon and the sacred Ganges. The dancer beautifully expressed the heroine’s profound ‘virahathapam’ – the anguish of separation – and her deep yearning for her lord’s return.
Throughout the intricate varnam, Kavyaa displayed remarkable ease and confidence in her execution of hasta mudras (hand gestures), abhinaya (facial expressions), and precise footwork. Following this, she presented M. Balamuralikrishna’s Javali in Jenjutti raga, set to misra chapu tala, where the nayika conveys her intense affection and implores her nayaka not to depart. Further demonstrating her emotional range, Kavyaa embodied an angry khanditha nayika in the Ashtapadi ‘Yahi madhava yahi keshava’, directly confronting her beloved Krishna for his perceived betrayal.
Kavyaa concluded her memorable recital with a vibrant thillana, also composed by Balamuralikrishna, in the soulful raga Behag.
The stellar live orchestra provided exquisite accompaniment, featuring Bhuvaneswari Koushik on nattuvangam, Koushik Champakesan on vocal, N. K. Kesavan on mridangam, Anantha Raman on violin, and Devaraj on flute.