‘Kalpanam 2006’ Educates and Entertains

Highlighting the incredibly rich and varied culture of Southern India, the Harvard South Asian Association’s presentation of “Kalpanam 2006: Classical Imaginations,” combined dance, music, rhythm, and costume, in an evening that proved to be not only visually stunning, but also of educational value.

Presented in Lowell Lecture Hall last Saturday night to a nearly full house, “Kalpanam” consisted of two main acts separated by an intermission. Directed by Prerna Martin ’09 and Rohini S. Rau-Murthy ’08, and produced by T. Niroshi Senaratne ’08 and Ritambhara Kumar ’08, the first half of the show was comprised of different short segments, showcasing dance acts and music acts. The second half, a dance drama, was a cohesive story depicting distinctive incidents from the Lord Krishna’s life, and was masterfully choreographed by Rau-Murthy, Martin, Rohini Nair ’08, and Ramya Parthasarathy ’08.

The first act began with a short prayer to the Lord Ganesha asking that the show proceed without any obstacles.

This was followed by a playful and whimsical dance called a pushpanjali, or a flower offering, which juxtaposed two types of classical dance from south India—Mohiniattam and the more energetic Kuchipudi. Dancers Vani E. Nambudiri ’09 and Amrapali Maitra ’10 alternated individual performances of the different forms before finishing off the act dancing in unison, showing the overlap between the two.

Following the Pushpanjali was a wonderful song, performed by three singers, Rajiv Venkataramanan ’08, Vikas V. Mouli ’09, and Vaidya G. Rajagopalan ’08, proclaiming love for Lord Krishna. The singers, seemingly effortlessly, weaved together their three voices, and produced a unified sound.

As wonderful as the performances of the first act were, there were some unfortunate technical difficulties that strained the flow of the act, including a smattering of microphone screeching. Also, the show, slated to begin at 8 p.m., did not actually begin until after a quarter past, and the ten-minute intermission stretched out into nearly half an hour. Nonetheless, the show was well worth the wait.

The second act, though—entitled the Dance Drama and performed in the style of Bharatanatyam dance—ran seamlessly from start to finish. It showcased what was obviously a tremendous amount of preparation and immense talent on the part of the dancers. The dancing of the second half convincingly conveyed the emotions associated with the stories of Krishna’s life.

The brief narrations that preceded each act of the drama were helpful explanations of the dances, though many of the dances were impressive enough to stand alone. The vignettes ranged from the serious to the humorous and the emotions were effectively conveyed through the dancing, so much so, that at points the dancing itself evoked audible laughter from the audience.

Much of the success of the dance drama also rested on the interesting music and magnificent costumes and makeup that accompanied it. The music varied from playful to serious and one song was even reminiscent of beatboxing rhythms. The costumes were exquisitely displayed a panoply of colors and the makeup served to enhance the visual beauty of the performance.

The show finished to an extended standing ovation as well as happy exclamations from audience members all around. Despite the length of the show, which ran for almost two hours, the response to it was resoundingly positive. Whether it was your first time watching a classical Indian dance show, or you had grown up with the different dance styles, Kalpanam proved to be an accessible and enjoyable experience for all.