Sivashree Kumar at Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha in Chennai
| Photo Credit: S. R. Raghunathan
Sivashree Kumar, a disciple of R. Vijay Madhavan, began her solo recital at Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha’s Bharat Nritya Utsav 2025, Chennai, with ‘Sadashiva Kumara’, a composition by Papanasam Sivan, in raga Suddha Saveri and Adi tala.
The highlight of her recital was the varnam ‘Senthil Mevum’. Set to raga Nilambari and Adi tala, this composition by Lalgudi G. Jayaraman saw her portraying Muruga, the lord of Tiruchendur. With her expressive eyes and flowing gestures, the dancer brought the nayika’s longing to life. Her soft glances and delicate movements reflected her search for Muruga through the changing seasons. As the music built up, her steps became more intense, showing her growing impatience and deep desire to see him. The performance reached its peak when she called upon Muruga to arrive on his peacock. Sivashree embodied the beauty of a peacock in her performance.
The next piece, ‘Maasil veenaiyum’, a Thevaram in Poorvikalyani and Adi tala, depicted the bliss of surrendering to Shiva. The dancer maintained a restrained approach, with minimal expressions and measured movements. The composition spoke of divine refuge and serenity. The piece unfolded with a quiet steadiness, staying true to the theme.
Sivashree is a students of R. Vijay Madhavan
| Photo Credit:
S. R. Raghunathan
The concluding piece, ‘Chinnanjiru penpole’, set in raga Sindhubhairavi and tisra nadai Adi talam, depicted the radiance of Durga, comparing her cheerful presence to that of a young girl. Composed by Ulundurpettai Shanmugasundaram, it was popularised by the renowned singer Sirkazhi Govindarajan. However, while the composition celebrated Durga’s aura, Sivashree’s performance didn’t quite convey it.
The orchestra featured Sivashree’s guru R. Vijay Madhavan on the nattuvangam, Kaushik Champakesan on vocals, P.K. Sivaprasad on the mridangam, and Anantharaman Balaji on the violin.
Published – February 26, 2025 03:22 pm IST
