One of the greatest dancers of our time, Indrani Rehman was among the luminous names of the sixties and seventies who carried the glory of Indian classical arts to all corners of the world, through her varied performances imbued with grace of body and spirit, and her mastery over several dance forms. Having settled in the United States, Indrani Rehman had become a distant legend for dance enthusiasts in India, though she continued to work actively in the USA.

While Indrani Rehman's name is known to all who love dance, it is a lesser known fact that her husband Rehman, a leading architect, is the designer of Rabindra Bhawan, the building that houses the Sangeet Natak, Sahitya and Lalit Kala Akademies in Mandi House.

Indrani Rehman died last month. Those who mourned her passing did so quietly. It was not only the passing of a great artist but also a reminder of the inexorable march of time, that leaves the memory of the pioneering days of Indian performing arts further and further behind in history. Most of the young dancers performing in India today may never have seen Indrani Rehman on stage or in person, but Shagun Butani was one who had the privilege of working with her, and her recent Odissi performance, dedicated to the memory of this great artist, who inspired young people to the end of her life, was a befitting homage.

Initially trained in Odissi under Aloka Panikar and later continuing under Guru Gangadhar Pradhan at Bhubaneshwar, Shagun has a wide background and has trained in Seraikella Chhau and Modern Dance as well. Her taste and experience in light designing stood her in good stead at the performance at Triveni Chamber Theatre

Beginning with Mangalacharan, Shagun went on to an elaborate rendering of the ashtapadi, Sakhi he, Keshi mathanam udaaram. Concentrated and intense, she presented a detailed sanchari backed up by stirring instrumental music. Later, in Yahi Madhava, Shagun demonstrated restraint in her depiction of the hurt and angry Radha, epitomizing the Khandita nayika, who lashes out in rage at her beloved, slamming the door on him even as she longs to forgive him.

Guru Banamali Maharana on the Pakhawaj, vocalist Purna Chandra Majhi, flautist Vinay Prasanna and sitarist Subrata De, were an asset to the performance, while the aesthetic set design by Shantanu Mitra and lights by Sharad Kulshreshtha added to its overall effect in no small measure.

Bharata Natyam by Geeta Chandran

Geeta Chandran, an immensely gifted dancer, gave a Bharata Natyam recital at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan during the annual Tyagaraja Aradhana Festival organized by the Shanmukhananda Sangeet Sabha.

Her wide perspective was evident in her range of numbers. The Chokkanathar Kavuthuvam dedicated to Lord Shiva, kritis of Tyagaraja, the classic varnam, Saamiye vara solladi, in the raga Poorvi Kalyani, and a bhajan of Paramananda, Koun ras gopin leenho ghunt, depicting the total obliteration of self achieved by the milkmaids in their all consuming love for Krishna, were included in a well planned programme that held the attention of the audience.

An effective feature of the Chokkanathar Kavuthuvam was the rhythmic recitation of each stanza by Guru Krishnamurthy prior to singing it. Geeta danced to both the recitation and the song. Shiva as the Nataraja symbolizes the omniscient dance of the universe, and the rhythmic recitation of the sahitya reflected the conviction that dance and music are in every element, be it the spoken or the sung word, the cycle of life or of the seasons. If the singing portion had been relegated to the vocalist Sai Bhavani, with Guru Krishnamurthy putting all his punch into the recitation, it may have added a more aurally pleasing dimension.

Bho Shambho, composed in the raga Revati by the late Maharajapuram Santhanam, dedicated to Shiva and replete with sculpturesque postures, provided a finale to the recital. With excellent nritta and a commanding stage presence, Geeta represents a healthy facet of Bharata Natyam, innovative within the tradition and conscious of the architectonic riches of the form.