Laxminarayan Jena performing at Bhavan’s Naatya Utsav
| Photo Credit: M. Srinath
Kathak  is often perceived as a combination of vibrant footwork and chakkars by the uninitiated viewer.  A recent performance by  Laxminarayan Jena for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Naatya Vizha threw light on the evolution of Kathak from its Kathavacha tradition to its present-day avatar. The lucid information on each item, shared with felicity by his guru Mysore Nagaraj, and the sincere presentation by the dancer made this performance an enriching experience.‘Damaru hara kara baaje’ an ode to Shiva, was a dynamic composition set in Dhrupad style in raag Gunakali. The powerful movements of Shiva were interspersed with brief depictions of two episodes — Shiva drinking poison and the emergence of the Panchabhootas. Laxminarayan’s footwork was marked by clarity while the movements were energetic.

Laxminarayan Jena’s performance highlighted both the bhaav and nritta aspects of Kathak.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath
Next came the Bhav Paksh. “Radha bhava anubhava’ spoke about Radha’s emotional distress as she awaits Krishna’s arrival and when he fails to understand her feelings. She says, “You will understand  my feelings only when you become Radha”. Krishna adorns himself in her garb, understands her feelings and goes in search of Radha. The dancer transitioned from man to woman with ease, and the use of a dupatta to communicate the role reversal was visualised beautifully.
Present-day Kathak performances take up a taal and explore its many nuances. Here, the dancer chose a Prabhandha — a well-knit, structured composition, giving no leeway for expansion, for the Nritya paksh segment. Revived by Maya Rao from the Shambhu Maharaj tradition, this Prabhandha was in raag Khamaj.‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’, the soulful ghazal immortalised by Farida Khanum, was taken up to show how the dance style can accommodate diverse poetic expressions. Lakshminarayan chose to portray the emotions of a couple in love but his visualisation did not capture the beauty of the lyrics. Slower pace and intense expression would have helped.
Taraana in raag Jhinjoti was marked by synchrony between footwork and tabla bols. And, guru Mysore Nagaraj shared a trivia about when Amir Khusro was asked to compose something similar to a Prabhandha, the Taraana was the result of a musical composition that emerged from a compilation  of the names of Allah. Published – January 27, 2025 05:43 pm IST