Bharatnatyam dancer Mesma Belsare and Carnatic vocalist Deepti Navaratna collaborated to present an evening of South Indian dance and music at the Cambridge Multicultural Center on February 7, 2013.  The event was presented under the auspices of the South Asian Arts Council. 

Giving the context of the presentation, the brochure said “The concert explores the theme of love from the carnal to the spiritual through the language of dance music and poetry”. The artists picked very ancient compositions and presented love in its different facets. 

Mesma opened with a Chinnaya Pillai composition Amba Souramba in the Ragam Arabhi. While the piece is traditional, Mesma’s opening of the piece had an unmistakable touch of the contemporary.  Mesma presented Amba is all Her glory. From the powerful aspect of the Goddess riding the tiger to the graceful Goddess who was like a beautiful swan Mesma's seamlessly glided from one aspect  to another enabling us to see Goddess in Her brilliance.  This opening masterful presentation set the tone of excellence and brilliance that was the hallmark of the entire presentation. 

Mesma moved on to the famous Huseni Swarajathi by Melathur Venkatarama Shastry.  Her powerful Jathis were a perfect counterpoint to the dramatic Sancharis where she explored the conversation between the king and the courtesan in a leisurely manner.  The character of the powerful king and the simple courtesan burst forth in all their brilliance through the beautiful piece. Mesma brought her own ideas to the Sanchari and thus gave a fresh take to the piece.  

She then moved into Vatsalyam with a Neelambari Divyaprabhandam by Kulashekhara Alwar where Mother Kausalya sings a lullyby to Rama where the verses extol Rama’s own virtues. The use of a small space defined via the use of interesting lighting on the large stage brought to life the very intimate nature of the love of a mother for her child.  

The concert moved to a Kshetrayya Padam “Chudare” in the Ragam Sahana, where, in a gossip session, a woman is discussing the wanton behavior of another woman – a married lady who brazenly goes and meets her lover Krishna without worrying about what people would think of her. Through her Abhinaya, movements and creative use of space and lighting, Mesma brought to life the "Verandah", which was used in ancient India for women to gather and gossip and recreated the gossip session with great accuracy.  She ended the presentation with Swagatham Krishna by Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyer and returned the mood to spiritual love. 

  

Bharatanatyam is an ancient art form. In the hands of a master this art form has the power to build deep connections between the artist and the audience and carry the audience to different emotional realms. Mesma’s ability to use this art form to touch audiences, who were very familiar or unfamiliar with the art form in such a powerful manner, is a true testament to her mastery. 

She was ably assisted in this effort by the skillful vocal talent of Deepti Navaratna. Deepti’s unique voice has the ability to add the right emotional touch to the piece. Murali Balanchandran on the Mridangam provided the perfect support enhancing the pieces without overpowering them.  Sowmya Ramanathan’s precise Nattuvangam and Prayuth Naduthota’s melodious flute provided beautiful support.

Mesma’s artistic sincerity combined with her exceptional talent made this a concert to remember and we look forward to more such fine concerts from this great artist.