Nrithyam Madhuram- A tribute to M. S. Subbulakshmi
Contributed By - Gayathri Krithivas
A tribute to the jewel of the rich musical tradition of India, M.S. Subbhulakshmi, aptly named NrithyamMadhuram was presented, by Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society, Chandler at the Tempe Center for the Arts on Saturday, February 25th to raise funds for Chinmaya Mission Phoenix. Swami Ishwaranandaji graced this occasion as the guest of honor for this event.
The show began with the Chinmaya Choir Group, Swaranjali, rendering songs of M.S. Subbulakshmi titled Sangeetha Samarpan followed by the dance production, Nrithyam Madhuram.
Nrithyam Madhuram, was conceived and choreographed by the Smt. Radhika Shurajit from Chennai, India and directed and produced by Smt. Shyla Ganesan founder of Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society featuring all the students of the institution.
The audience was led on a journey through the many popular songs of Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi by Smt. Ramya Ranganathan, of Ponnambalam Golden Temple of Fine Arts, Arizona, draped in the iconic blue saree famously known the world over as the ‘MS Blue’ Saree. The dancers began the program with an invocation to Lord Ganesha with the Ganesha Pancharatnam followed by an invocation to Lord Narayana through one of MS’s famous songs Sriman Narayana and Dolayam, by Saint Annamacharya with the the Suprabhatham being played before the start of Dolayam.
The program took on a complex turn with the arrival of the dancers dancing to Giridhara Gopala, describing the attributes of Lord Krishna. The dancers described Meera Bai’s devotion to Lord Krishna through an elegantly choreographed presentation. Following this, nine lively young dancers then brought Goddess Lakshmi to the audience with the Purandara Dasa Kriti Bhagyada Lakshmi, bedecked in the beautiful colors.
The evergreen melody “Kaatrinile varum geetam” from the movie Meera was presented in a style evoking Krishna’s flute mesmerizing the gopis through the gentle breeze. The gopis and the playful Krishna were beautifully portrayed by the dancers. The audience were then transported to Shiva’s abode by the MS rendered, the Siva Panchaksharam.
The next pieces showed the beautiful contrast of the love for Krishna. Shyla Ganesan with her nuanced abhinaya, portrayed Yashoda’s love for Krishna through the Purandaradasa Krithi, Jagadodharana. In contrast, the song Jo Achyutananda depicts the complete love and surrender of the gopis as they sing the infant Krishna to sleep.
The program featured Rajaji’s composition “Kurai Ondrum Illai“, followed by Madhurashtakam and the Dhanashree Thillana. In the song “Oli Padaitha Kanninai the girls made neat formations with their kollatams. This led the way to the finale of Maitreem Bhajata that MS Amma sang at the United Nations followed by a medley of MS Amma’s evergreen melodies and ended with the felicitations by Swamiji to all the members who made this fundraiser a success.
The students had been rehearsing for months on this production and they executed the program under the enthusiastic tutelage of their guru Smt. Shyla Ganesan. The production was indeed a team effort and a treat to watch. An afternoon well spent and that too for a worthy cause!
(Mrs. Gayathri Krithivas is the director and instructor of Kumon of Gilbert Southeast and an arts enthusiast).