அக்கினிக்குஞ்சிரண்டு ..

 அக்கினிக் குஞ்சொன்று கண்டேன் ..

தத்தரிகிட தத்தரிகிட தித்தோம்..

yes.. thats how i felt watching Apeksha perform on Meera's (K)Terrace. Meera's terrace offers an intimate space to experience dance on the same plane and from close quarters. 

I had watched Apeksha perform in Koham and she came in as a surprise package. After all, i was looking forward to Koham for Meera's (SN)performance, but here came someone matching and even bettering Meera. When i learnt later from a friend that she was only in her teens, i could not believe it.

 i was looking forward to seeing more performances by her. i got to see her off stage at BVB and  she looked like any languid bespectacled girl. But when she stepped into her BN costume and onstage to perform, she underwent a million transformation and appeared a veritable அக்கினிக்குஞ்சு.

her limbs seem to grow that extra length to make those hastas reach further, 
her fingers grown an in inch longer to make those mudras sharper, 

her torso grows a round sturdier,

she ages a little prettier,

her face glows like a lamp lit in the dark, 
her eyes speak a new language, 
and her tapping feet reverbrates across the floor

she swirls like the wind,

smiles like a lotus,
- she is a new avatar and a different force while performing.

Apeksha kamath has decided at an early stage to choose a life in dancing. it means a lot and shows her charecter and devotion, and having anchored in the shores of the magnanimous Indra Kadambi, she is bound to sail far and wide.

SaiBrindha follows closely on Apeksh's heels and has also anchored around this big tree of IK. SB is a tad simpler in comparision, and what she lacks in physical forcefulness she more than matches with her Intelligent applications. her mukha ahinaya stands out in her performance. Those little twists in the lips, cheek and eyes can hook any audience into the sway of her performance. 

SB will live with the fact  that she is always going to be compared to her peer in AK, she only has to remember that she has everything in her, and the gracious blessing of her guru, to match and win any competition.

Sandhya Udupa who started learning with IK as a young mother brought alive IK on stage in the 'little krishna' piece. IK's dedication and devotion seem to inspire the best out of her students and transforms  them into gold. 

Talking of the performances in the evening, i found it fascinating how the acharyas come alive through their choreography. Kalanidhi Narayan's choreography had the flair of a an instructive artist, while Leela Samson's choreo had some great agility, and Ik's choreo tended towards the experimental. 

my Salutations to guru IK for all the love and care she showers on her wards and for choosing to show case her student's talents in an unconventional space like Meera's terrace and hopefully setting off a trail blazer..