The poetry of Padams

Bragha Bressel, a senior Bharatanatyam Guru; much sought after to share her knowledge of the subtlety and delicate beauty in abhinaya, the hallmark of kshetrayya padams, was in Hyderabad over the weekend. Theory, she says, is equally as important as practice for an all rounded knowledge of the Art form.

She conducted a 3 day workshop under the aegis of Rinda Saranya, teaching a batch of senior and junior students the Kshetrayya padam "Kodi kuse nayyayyo ".

She has imbibed this knowledge from her legendary Gurus, Adyar lakshman and Kalanidhi Narayanan. She gives due credit to V.A.K.Ranga Rao, the astute and learned Critic for sharing his detailed knowledge of the lyrics with her.

Focusing mainly on abhinaya or expression oriented items like Padams, Javalis and Shlokams, this workshop will help students to hone their skills in depicting emotional states, the forte of Kalanidhi.

The nuances and explanation of these poems is passed on to another generation and she feels fulfilled in doing so. Bargha feels it is a treat to teach here as the Telugu speakers in their homeland can grasp the intricacies of these works fully.

It is exciting to note the similarities as well as differences in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam is appreciated at a platform that sees representation from both.

Having performed in the Abhinaya Sudha festival a few years back, she comments that the dance scene in Chennai is brimming with new ideas in every facet of the Art and she would like to see the same here.

By:Anna Rao Gangavalli

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