With her immediate stage presence, dancer Meghna Karanam made it known that this would be a very special performance.
And it was, for two reasons: this was her Kuchipudi rangapravesha; and this was the very first of its kind that the classical dance circuit in Sydney has hosted.
Kuchipudi is one of the great classical dance forms of India, originating from Andhra Pradesh. It is characterised by an amalgamation of ‘lasya’ (graceful movements) and intricate footwork, coming together to enable the dancer to tell a vivid story.
Meghna picked a deeply traditional repertoire for her debut performance, highlighting all of the defining features of Kuchipudi.
As the daughter of Guru Sri Venkata Ramana, founder of Mayura Academy (@mayuraacademy), she knew she had high expectations on her slender shoulders.
She need not have worried.
She started with ‘Poorvarangam’, purifying the stage with six items – holy water sprinkled with mango leaves, rangoli, the Kuchipudi flag (which symbolises strength and beauty), dhoopam (incense), deepam (lit lamps) and pushpam (flowers). In this piece, Meghna introduced to us her expressive ‘dancing eyebrows’ that she is so well known for. The Ganesha item ‘Gajaananayutham,’ showcased her talented brother Anirudh (a skilful Kuchipudi dancer himself) on the Nattuvangam.
Witnessing Meghna’s Devi item during Navrathi was a highlight for many – in the ‘Mahishasura Mardini Strotram’, Meghna effortlessly depicted the physical battle between Durga and the demon Mahishasura, switching between the divine beauty of the goddess and the haughty arrogance of the demon.
The highlight of the recital (for audiences and for Meghna herself), was the ‘Bhamakalapam’, a celebrated work in the Kuchipudi repertoire. In this, Meghna showcased her incredible nritta (dance), abhinaya and spoken word skills. She embodied Satyabhama (one of Krishna’s consorts) in 3 acts, which collectively journal Satyabhama’s love for Krishna. Satyabhama is a proud and regal presence, and Meghna transformed into this avatar before our eyes. Her long and adorned braid was an accessory to her graceful walk, and the confidence of her beauty radiated from her posture. She then depicted Satyabhama’s vulnerability when searching for her Krishna, through a series of to and fro conversations on stage with her friend Madhavi (beautifully voiced by Dr Divya Jammalamadaka). Meghna showcased impressive breath control and the skill of a voice artist- even those who could not understand the Telugu language, could see how shy and endearing Satyabhama was in responding to Madhavi’s questions about Krishna. Unable to take his name in front of so many people, she instead described his instantly recognisable features – his luscious locks and his peacock feather. In the third act, Satyabhama is consumed by her love for Krishna and Meghna was able to convey the intensity of her character’s pangs of love with much aplomb
An instantly recognisable aspect of Kuchipudi is the dancing on the brass plate. In the ‘Shiva Tarangam’, we were thrilled to see Meghna Karanam embody Shiva’s power whilst balancing and performing complex jathis (rhythmic steps) on the plate. Her father recited the jathis first, and she rose to the challenge, not missing a single taalam.
The musical accompaniment for the evening was of the highest calibre of both local and international artists – Sri Venkata Ramana Garu on the Nattuvangam, Vidwan Sri Balasubramanya Sharma (vocals), Sri Rajagopalacharya (mridangam), Sri V.B.S Murali (flute), Kum Sauma Sritharan (flute) and Sri Nagaraj Iyer (violin).
Meghna is a Mathematics high school teacher by profession; however she is equally passionate about Kuchipudi and has been teaching alongside her father for many years. As she says candidly, “Helping young dancers find their art own connection to this artform is something I find incredibly fulfilling. My father has always been a mentor to me, and I hope to carry on his legacy by mentoring future dancers in a similar way.”
Meghna Karanam’s impact on her students was evident in the adoring and loving way in which they spoke about her on the night. She has proven herself to be a highly accomplished dancer and we expect to see much more of her and Mayura Academy on the Sydney dance scene.
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