Kuchipudi Recital at Nishagandhi Festival

Performing at a venue as acoustically precise as the Nishagandhi Auditorium allows for a specific kind of dialogue with the audience. For this recital, we focused on the Shiva Tarangam, which requires total rhythmic alignment between the live percussion and the dancer to maintain balance on the brass plate.

The Nishagandhi Festival is a unique platform, not just because of its scale, but because of the deep appreciation for classical forms in Kerala. For this performance, I wanted to strip back the ornamentation and focus on the core elements of Kuchipudi: the rhythm (Nritta) and the emotive storytelling (Abhinaya).

We began with the Shiva Tarangam, a challenging piece that demands complete physical and mental presence. Balancing on the rim of a brass plate while keeping time with the Mridangam is a practice of total surrender. The piece pays homage to Lord Shiva, and the energy in the auditorium shifted as the percussion intensified, creating a bridge between the performer and the audience.

Following this, I chose a romantic Javali. While the Tarangam is about power and precision, the Javali is about subtlety—the turn of a wrist, the arch of an eyebrow, and the specific expression of longing. It is where I find the most freedom as a storyteller.

This recital was supported by a dedicated live orchestra, including Jasmin Kaur on Nattuvangam and Adarsh Nair on vocals. Having a live ensemble is essential for me; it allows for spontaneous improvisation. If the audience responds, the musicians and I can extend a phrase or deepen a gesture, making the performance breathe in real time. It is this exchange that makes every recital a singular event, never to be replicated exactly the same way again.