Raghunath Manet's performance reminds one of Ramli Ibrahim, feels SHANTA SERBJEET SINGH

Creation of a male god

 

At India international Centre last week, the mystical vision of dance that Ramli Ibrahim had provided for us last year in the genre of Odissi was repeated by Raghunath Manet in Bharat Natyam. Ibrahim, a Malay Muslim and Manet, a Pondicherry born, Paris-based Indian dancer console us with the thought that dance, the creation of a male god, the Cosmic Nataraja, is still alive in that species and can put to shame a pride of beautiful ballerinas.

They also point to the astonishing alchemy that touches Indian dance when performed by a committed dancer with eyes that are open to the Nijinskys and Nureyevs of the world even as they grapple with the spiritualsensual union in our dance.

With that hand held aloft, the corso curved like Rama's bow, the jet-black hair wet, as if he had just stepped out of the shower, Manet's sense of the drama in dance was evident from the moment the gold-turbanned player of the "Damru" came silently onstage and in precise choreography was followed by the other musicians, the singer, the nattuvanar, the mridangist, the daph player and then finally the dancing star.

And what a dance he performed for us! By turns it was as if we were watching the sawaljawab of a masser Kathak dancer. At other times the leap and arching flights of the body were the kind one witnesses in a rare folk per-former, all energy and raw strength. And then again, when he folded the leg across the thigh ever so neatly and subtly, in the Nataraja pose or spun out different adavus with the beauty and grace of temple sculpture come alive, it was clearly only Bharat Natyam that could release such a vision.

As for Tala, Raghunath seems to breathe it in and breathe it out as naturally as air. The play with rhythm in the Ananda Tandava was an experience in itself. Using the very novel ideal in dance of the soloist taking a breakwhite the musicians engage in a Tala Vadya Kachen, a common enough ingredient of a music concert, he meshed a volley of spitfire Jathi sequences into the dance upon his return.

Simple Bols like Takita Jhom Ta embroidered in the different sound patterns of different percussion instruments, from the feet to the Ghatam, became a holistic statement of intent. Thus must the galaxies have moved in tandem, and in isolation, when Shiva struck the first clap on the Damru! And chus must have the elements pulled apart in fear and empathy when, leg held high in a Urdha Tandava pose. He opened the third eye of destruction!

An excellent sense of Aharya informed Manet's performance. Quick changes of the dhoti, a white silk for the opening Pushpanjali and Alarippu, a goldochre for the Tandava, a royal purple for the Tillana, small but effective changes of jewellery and special silk, zan-bordered long traditional coats over dhotis for the musicians gave an elegant look to the whole ensemble.

Manet, already busy running a dance school in Pondicherry for over 200 children of a lesser God, is seriously thinking of opening a special school for male dancers. This would be a genuine contribution to dance because his own experience in devising special compositions and choreographies for the male body.

The way he imparts it the strength and the stealth of the tiger when sighting a prey, the way he makes the stage his playground, moving from the edge upfront to the rear, the rides and then centre again, the dramatic sense he has of music and rhythm, of which his own playing of the Veena was an excellent example and above all his intuitive understanding of how to weave in everything together will go a long way in ensuring that the male dancer does not become a lost tribe in the land of its origin.

Official Raghunath Manet's website

http://www.raghunathmanet.com

THE HINDUSTAN TIMES
DVD et CD available www.fnac.fr