Kutrala Kuravanchi
One character Dance Drama:
Varshana Nathagopan
One character dance drama by Subashini.Pathmanathan was produced at
the Indian Cultural Centre Colombo; on the May 21.This one character
dance drama was written by Thirikuda Rasappsa kavirayer of 17th century.
|
Subashini Pathmanathan |
Altogether 119 songs are in this dance drama, but certain portion of
songs were selected for the dance drama which are story oriented.
Normally in Sri Lanka so many dance dramas are choreographed by
numerous-dance teachers, dance choreographers, and classical dancers,
but all are not single character dance drama. Numerous characters are
involved commonly in dance dramas. One character dance drama which was
choreographed by Sri Lanka’s top most Bharatha Natyam exponenent ‘Natya
Kalashikamani’ kumari Subashini.Pathmanathan.
Subashini is a product of traditional Vazhuvoor classical Bharatha
Natya style, who directly studied under the topmost world renowned
Bharatha Natya Guru, the late Padmashree Vazhuvoor Ramiah
Pillai.Vazhuvoor Classical Bharatha Natya style is a unique style, as
well as a rare, graceful, and beautiful style at this present era. This
is still protected by the Gurukula tradition. It has not moved to
institutional level. That’s why this particular dance style is
preserving its own grace, and exclusive expressions.
Only one character dance drama is a very rare and only experienced
and talented artiste can perform. Subashini is an excellent dancer,
researcher, dance teacher, and exceptional writer in the field of dance
and related topics. Subashini herself portrayed six different
characters’ role alone, including Kadiyakaran (story teller), Vasantha
Valli (the main character), maids of Vasantha Valli, kuravan, (Gypsy
man), and Kurathi –gypsy woman.
The whole dance drama took nearly one hour. Due to the excellent
expressions of Subashini, the spellbound audience forgot themselves, and
totally attracted by her accurate appropriate beautiful
expressions.Priseworthy of her part was the rhythmic movements of steps
she adopted, and her graceful abinaya and facial expression, in all she
revealed her exceptional talent.
This is the first dance based drama which sowed the seeds, for the
development of another branch called dance drama in Bharatha Natyam.The
first scene portrays, the role of kadiya karan who comes and explains,
the over all theme of the story.
This story which is oriented about the presiding deity the Lord Siva,
named (kutrala nathar).According to the story, the kutrala nathar, goes
in a procession on his vehicle the cow. At that time the princess
Vasantha Valli, who was playing balls with her maids, saw the procession
of the kutrala nathar, and fell in love with him.
Due to the overwhelming love at him, she refused to take food, or
water, or wear the fresh flower garlands, which showed the depression in
her life.
The friends of Vasantha Valli, were wondering for the reason of the
peculiar behaviour of Vasantha Valli, they took the maximum pressure,
and pain to find out the cause for her abnormal behaviour. They tried to
do the maximum rituals to get her out of her depression.
Meanwhile, a gipsy woman passes that way, who is a soothsayer. The
friends of Vasantha Valli, asked her to find out the reason for her
depression.
The gipsy woman found the reason for the depression, of Vasantha
Valli, and told them, when the Lord went in a procession; while Vasantha
Valli was playing balls with her maids, she was attracted by the beauty
of Lord Siva, (kutrala nathar) and said Lord Siva, would be the future
husband for her and nothing to be worried about.
The last scene of the story depicts, that the husband of the gypsy
woman –the soothsayer, was in search of his wife for a few days, and at
last he roamed everywhere in Tamil Nadu. At last he came to the temple
of kutrala nathar and while he was worshipping the Lord, he found his
wife the gypsy woman.At last, the gypsy woman and her husband prayed the
Lord and surrendered them-selves at the lotus feet of the Lord Kutrala
Nathar. |
