The timeless appeal of the centuries-old Melattur Bhagavata Mela utsavam thehindu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehindu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A fresh approach to Padavarnam
Updated:
Updated:
‘Padavarnam’, presented by Urmila Satyanarayanan’s students, had many fresh elements
Share Article
‘Padavarnam’, presented by Urmila Satyanarayanan’s students, had many fresh elements
‘Padavarnam’ was a seminal work for Urmila Satyanarayanan for two reasons it established her commitment in training students, and secondly, established her individuality as a dancer-teacher. The presentations, though time-tested, had new elements, new movements and new emphasis to demonstrate her creativity, and represented a departure from the days of gurus K.N. Dandayuthapani Pillai and K.J. Sarasa.
The movement vocabulary included sharper, more angular movements on the diagonal, extensions of the nattadavu family, and some Ravi Varma-inspired poses and steps. There was a change in the treatment of varnams as well, with less extended abhinaya passages and more nritta.