Six weeks had gone by in a flash between weddings+wfh+break+photo shoots. The to-do list for the last week before returning to Seattle has gotten long - meeting friends & family, Pongal, shopping, more frantic shopping. I was in two minds about considering one more shoot when I messaged the artist on Instagram. And I am really glad I did!
The recital was a part of the Pongal Dance Festival series at Krishna Gana Sabha consisting of four pieces with perfect blend of Nritta and Nritya where an exuberant Divya Ravi ruled the stage.
Mallari
varnam
The central piece for the evening was the presentation of an iconic Tanjore Quartet varnam - Samiyai Azhaithu Vaadi, where the young heroine, asks, requests, pleads and urges her friend to bring her beloved Lord to her.
Jagadhodharana
The next piece was an evergreen composition by Purandara Daasar - Jagadhodharana, where mother Yashoda tries to confine little Krishna, only to realize it is only love that can bind and confine him!
Kaa Vaa vaa
When I heard the familiar song on Lord Muruga, I thought it was going to be a melodic, nritya heavy conclusion to the recital. Instead it turned out to be a visceral and fast paced representation of worker-class route to bhakti ending with a sequence of Kavadi.
kavadi
Photograher notes
The stage was compact and the dancer was well lit despite the simple lighting setup at the venue. Shot mostly from the middle of the auditorium at f/3.5-5.6 & 1/320-600 with the long lens on electronic shutter.
The varnam was evocative and I could follow the progression of the 40 minute long sequence. Jagadhodarana filled with its gorgeous emotions of motherly love, and the representation of aprameya was brilliant. Kaa vaa vaa was an exhilarating piece to experience rather than trying to shoot to the fullest. It was an absolute joy to photograph this recital.
PS - Capital Kitchen's filter coffee could have been better.
