Solo Margam repertoire as chalked out by the Tanjore Quartet, for a modern day arangetram to test the all round development of a dancer presenting herself for the first time in the proscenium stage, puts both the teacher and the student to a litmus-test. These are self-financed and project the aesthetic benchmarks of a particular group of connoisseurs, the lay audience and the critic.

Recently Kalamandalam Calcutta presented Antara Roy Chowdhury who is in her early teens, for an arangetram. Chowdhury, who had started her training under Kalamandalam Thankamani Kutty’s disciple Jita Roy Chowdhury, was under the tutelage of the senior guru, who showed her ability as an accomplished Nattuvanar, conducting Antara’s performance.

As per tradition Antara genuflected to Ganesha, the deity who facilitates auspicious endeavours, before she embarked on “Alarippu” — a rhythm based composition for paying respects to one and all.

“Bhavayami Raghuramam”, a soul-stirring kriti using seven ragas, composed by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, a versatile genius and an ardent devotee of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, telling the entire story of the Ramayana in a condensed form, was rather challenging. The dance composition by the intelligent and veteran Guru, kept the young performer in mind. Great deal of effort was exercised by Antara in the piece and that was praiseworthy. The patronising audience enjoyed it.

The second half of the evening saw a spirited rendition of “Shivastakam” in praise of Shiva, the protector, destroyer and creator of everything. “Nader Mudi Mel Irukkum Nag Pambe”, which is popularly known as the snake dance was performed successfully with several yogic postures in keeping with the slithering movement of the pambu or snake. After an arangetram a dancer, armed with all the elements connected with sangeeta embarks upon a professional career in dance.

The fifth year of Margam Festival of dance had a galaxy of dancers carefully chosen to provide the kind of work that is being done by the young dancers of Kolkata. Moumita Chatterjee, who is a Bharatanatyam dancer trained by Guru Kalamandalam Thankamani Kutty has a vision and effortlessly conducted her season of dance and also performed in this festival.

It was a Tamil composition in raagam Hindolam and adi talam. An abhinaya piece from Jaydeva’s Geeta Govinda “Yahi Madhava ,yahi Kesava” was thoughtfully chosen. This expressive piece deals with the disloyalty of Krishna. This requires a great deal of nurturing, which perhaps was a bit of a short coming. Chatterjee ended her recital with Tillana.

Samrat Dutta gave a solo Bharatnatyam presentation at Margam — an evening of classical dance organised by Udok Performing Arts at Gyan Manch. A senior disciple of professor C V Chandrasekhar,  had initially started his training under Kalamnandalam Smt Thankamani Kutty. His presentation consisted of Pushpanjali with an Allaripu set to sankirna chapu talam in ragam “Nattai”, which was followed by shiva stuti Shankara Rudra Roop Dikhlao — a rudra  tandava  piece in Ragam Shankaravarnam — a composition of Guru professor CV Chandrasekhar, set to ragam Shankara and Adi talam.

The speciality of this piece was that a hindusthani bhajan was set to a hindusthani ragam “Shankara” in Hindi. Samrat Dutta has been an ardent practitioner of Bharatanatyam for the last three decades and is possessed with the pristine style. His Tatta Adavus were good and rendered his pieces with pleasing ardhamandalis which is a recurring motif of the style. Well practised Karanas made his piece a visual delight.

Ramakrishna Chattopadhyay, a disciple of Guru Khagendranath Barman of Kalakshetra style performed Ganesh Dhyanam followed by a Keertanam (Gangabataranam) in ragam: Rebati and talam adi. Through this Keertanam the dancer expressed the descent of Ganga as an abhinaya piece. Gangavataran by Bhagirath from Heaven to Earth Composed by Guru Ganga Thampi was a grippingly told tale.

The act of entrapping Ganga from devastating the earth was spectacular. The Tillana in raagam Madhubanti and adi talam composed by Guru Lila Samson rounded of his short recital. His description pursues the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam which he has imbibed with a certain degree of proficiency. Odissi dancer Arnab Bandopadhya pursuing the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra style of Odissi performed Krishna Tandava in Raag Aravi and taal ektaali.  Nachonti Range Sri Hari, Sakala Gop Nariraago Punaro Uthi was a composition of the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapara while the music was by Bhubaneswara Misra.

Ardha Nariswara describing Shiva and Parvati as inseparable from each other, written by Adi Shankaracharya, which has risen to the stature of timeless classicism, made all the more memorable by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s translation of it in the language of Odissi vocabulary and which never seizes to charm rasikas, was presented with meticulous care. The music of the piece was by Raghunath Panigrahi. Arnab has acquired the sculpturesque quality of the form.

Milan Adhikari and Anindyo Roy students of Abhoy Pal graced the Margam Festival.  Their presentation of Trimurtanjali to Shiva and his sons Kartikeya and Ganesha preceded “Shankara Shri Giri naada prabhu” by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in raagam Hamsadhwani. They played their part well.