Mysureans philosophy of TIE (Take It Easy) and belief in IST (Indian Stretchable Time) should not brand them as insensitive to art and culture. The fact that the threat of the unseasonal and unprecedented thunder and shower did not deter the rasikas to savour the Indian Classical Dance Art at the Articulate Festival in its series 17 on Oct.15 at Mysuru, in itself seals the tag Mysuru ‘Cultural Capital of Karnataka’ more firm. Further proved correct by seeing nearly 90 percent of the prekshakas always stayed till the end of the programme. ‘Mission accomplished’ and ‘efforts worthwhile’ says the organiser Mysore B. Nagaraj who claims that this is the only dance festival in the city of Mysuru religiously conducted every month on the 3rd Sunday sans any chief guests, sans award ceremonies but pure bliss of experiencing the hoary Indian dance art. Pavithra Kannan, disciple of Karnataka Kalashree Guru Minal Prabhu, invoked the deities with a bouquet of Musical notes where the drops of dance syllables glistened on its petals and danced like a gentle breeze giving a good start to the evening concert series. She danced all the “Jaathis” of the “Taala” and moved through in tishranadai in the composition “Swara Guccha.” Her dance of a Keerthane “Kaalai Thooki” in Bhagayashree raga and roopak tala, a composition of Sri Muthu Thandavar describing the beauty and attributes of the cosmic dancer Shiva and the bliss experienced by the Munis witnessing, was enchanting to watch especially through her Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Her concluding repertoire was a Purandaradasa devaranama “Jaganmohanane Krishna” where one could see her calibre in her abhinaya and gleefully questioning Ranga through Haridasas poetry, where he learnt the tricks of Stamping Kaliya, Lifting Mountains, and holding up the mandara during Amruta Mathana.
