A dancer to watch out for - Nilanjana Nambiar

Arangetram, a simple word that means 'ascending the stage', is the first great milestone in a classical dancer's life, the celebration of her years of hard work and dedication. Ironically, this is just the beginning of her lifelong journey in understanding the nuances of the classical arts, a stepping stone to furthering her education in this field.

It is a challenge that only those who undergo this journey can understand - the blood, the sweat, and the tears that culminate in this, the first official public performance on stage.

When I watched Nilanjana Nambiar, an eighth-grader, on stage at the Ashland High School Theater on September 28th, however, what caught my attention was her effortless grace and her command over abhinaya.

The evening began with an invocation by the musicians from India. Vocalist Sri Sudev Warrier, a disciple of Dr Balamuralikrishna, was accompanied by the inimitable Sri Sudaman Subramaniam on the mridangam, and flautist Sri Ramani Thiagarajan, son of the legendary Sri N Ramani. Guru Smt Sapna Krishnan of the Lasya School of Dance provided the support of the naatuvangam.

Nilanjana began her performance with a Pushpanjali, an invocation in Raga Amritavarshini, paying obeisance to the Gods, and seeking the blessings of her guru, the musicians, and the audience. She followed this with a Jathiswaram in Raga Hamsanandi, a pure nritta, which demonstrates the dancer's command over intricate footwork. This was followed by the Shivashtakam with eight verses in praise of Lord Shiva. While she faltered a little in her balance, she was able to continue without a misstep.

A delightful musical jugalbandi that followed this strenuous exposition allowed for a change of costume and gave the young dancer some respite before she emerged with an intricate varnam, the piece de resistance of the arangetram.

A ragamalika, the varnam unfolded three stories about Lord Vishnu and his devotees. Special mention must be made of Nilanjana's expertise in demonstrating this varnam before the performance. The first story was that of Draupadi vastaharanam, and to see Nilanjana play Shakuni, Yudhishtra, Dushasana, Draupadi and Lord Krishna was a revelation.  Jubilation, despair, lust, fear, humiliation, anger and grace were evident as they made quicksilver appearances on her expressive face. For a 13-year-old to have such mastery over abhinaya was remarkable.

She followed this with an exposition of the second story about Bhakta Prahlad.  Again, she did not disappoint. Her absolute ferociousness as Narasimha was a joy to watch, and her demonstrations allowed audience members who otherwise may not have been aware of the nuances, to understand the set pieces better. Needless to say, she had regained her confidence and performed the varnam with practiced grace.

The second half of the program saw a re-energized Nilanjana re-enact tales of Goddess Kali/Durga in Mahakali Mahashakti Maheshwari in Raga Gowlai. Hair loose and flowing, she demonstrated the keerthanam with skill and ease. The dance that followed was a sheer display of raw talent, and her fluid movements only emphasized the feminine grace or lasya.

With barely a moment to catch her breath, Nilanjana took the stage again to demonstrate Janakiramana in Raga Kapi. Three stories extolling the grace, mercy, and strength of Lord Rama saw Nilanjana demonstrate the stories for the audience's benefit. Once again, she drew audience attention to her abhinaya as she became the old and frail Shabari one moment, then the gullible Ahalya, lost in her 'husband's' arms one moment, shocked and humiliated the next; in a flash, she turned into the kings, who, so proud of their strength, are disillusioned when they cannot lift the bow at Sita's swayamvara. Once explained, it was easy even for a layman to see how the dance flowed from one story to another without a pause.

Another demonstration followed as Nilanjana expounded Kudachadriyil kudikollum Maheshwari, a padam in Malayalam, explaining the story behind the temple of Kollur Mookambika in Karnataka. By now, it was no surprise to see the story come alive on stage as the young dancer became, by turn, the Goddess Mookambika and Adi Shankaracharya.

The mood and the tone of the evening changed with Brahmam okate, an Annamacharya kriti in Raga Bowli. A 'lighter' piece, it cut into the tightly structured nature of the earlier performances, and showed  off Nilanjana's talent in allowing the tone to set the movements.

The evening's grand finale was the thillana, in Raga Chandrajyothi. A thillana is pure nritta and comprises intricate fast-paced footwork and graceful hand gestures. It was a pleasure to watch and the Mangalam that followed (Harivarasanam) was a fitting way to wind down a successful evening.

Guru Sapna Krishnan's choreography was refreshingly unique.  Giving adequate importance to both technique and feeling while maintaining the fluidity of dance is something that everyone aspires to, but very few achieve. In this case, she has every reason to be doubly proud, given that Nilanjana is her daughter; the latter has proved both a worthy disciple and a talented and hardworking daughter. I look forward to seeing more of this talented young dancer as she continues her artistic journey.

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