Playing Ganesha
Umesh Shanker
As we all know we just finished our show Krishnaarpanam, and I had danced as Ganesha. This was actually not my first time dancing as Ganesha - it is my third. My first was in Sharavanabhava, for the Vinayagar Chathurti celebration in TFA few years ago, where I was the main character. But this time in Krishnaarpanam, it was quite different from the other two.
In Sharavanabhava, I just stood as Ganesha for 2 minutes, circling Hari, who was Muruga, then went backstage and became a ''human'' again. Then, during the Vinayagar Chathurti which was called Gam Gam Ganapathy, it was more of a drama kind of thing - just walk here and there and act out some stuff - so it was ok. Not to say it was so easy - I still had 2 wear the mask for both of them... but it was much easier than Krishnaarpanam.
For Krishnaarpanam, I literally had to dance. When Shankar anna first asked me to dance for the show, I said I could not. Actually I did not want to because I had so many things going on and wanted a break, but he managed to persuade me and now I do not regret at all dancing for this extravagant show. I learnt almost the whole dance in one day! And it was like ''Wow!! this is like a varnam''. But then later on, when I had learnt the item properly and was sure about the steps, it did not feel so long. Only it was quite tiring but which dance is not??
But I do not know why - I never thought about wearing the mask then. Only a few weeks before the show Shankar anna told me I should start practising with the mask. Even after I knew about the mask, I was not worried. I never actually thought about the fact that I would be dancing so fast with that heavy mask, whether it will move or fall or whatever. But all the thought about the show came to a pause when the show got postponed.
Only beginning of this year did we resume the practice. I still could remember all my steps. Just had to polish up the dance with the other dancers. So anyway practice went on for quite some time…and the biggest challenge I had was to hold up and balance my leg for the poses in the beginning. But eventually I managed to overcome that problem towards the show…
Until I got the mask that is! That whole practice was a mess because I was concentrating so much on the mask: it was moving so much, which made it even harder for me to see, in addition to the size and position of the eyes on the mask itself!! I tried stuff like stuffing the sides to prevent it from moving which was not that successful though… and not to forget… it was really hot and difficult to breathe!!! So that made the whole thing worse. I always came out panting like mad and was in a rush to take off my mask after every time I danced with it…
Finally Latha teacher and Saro akka found a solution and fixed strings to the mask and tied it to my head which was really effective… although sometimes the face of the mask got so close to my face that the eye of the mask was touching the eyeball of my eye… making it tear…like on the first day!! But that was a small matter.
The show day finally came… I felt really nervous… I got ready and was waiting backstage. I was waiting eagerly every minute for the show to start… but while waiting, I felt really weird and just not right. Geetha teacher, Sumathi teacher, Gowri teacher, Sandhya akka and few other people touched my feet and asked for my blessings because I was ‘’Ganesha’’ - even if I was just wearing His mask, dressed up like Him and all. I felt myself merely acting his part. I did not have his powers or what… I was just dancing as Him for the show. They are all older, more experienced than me… my guru’s, but they wanted my blessings… I did not feel right. But I forgot about it and continued with the show…
I felt I did not do so well in the first show - it was in super speed and I could not hold up my leg!!! That was the worst part of all that made me feel really disappointed. I did not want to blame anything much so for the second day I really focused on it and tried my best - and I managed to do it!! I was so happy once that part was over.
I felt generally the whole show was really good - my hair stood up for the end of Eppadi Thaan and Madhava Panchakam. I was actually singing the Madhava Panchakam backstage while it was going on as I had learnt the song from Dashani because I love it so much….
Overall, I really enjoyed this show and, of course, playing Ganesha, which is my main thing in the show. I think this is the best show that I have ever danced in… or rather seen. This experience is one of the best I have ever had and will always remember it but all is not over - we still have the Singapore show to look forward to, and if possible, stage it in Penang, Chennai and New Jersey as well. But for now, I just want to meet everybody and start practice again for the show! Krishnarpanamastu OM
The Musical side of Krishnaarpanam
Hariraam
Krishnaarpanam. The first musical dance drama I have experienced. A live performance which, in my opinion, caught every one of our hearts. Believe it or not, it was like the music needed the dance to relate the whole story or the meaning of the song, while the dance needed the music to dance to it, to follow the rhythmic beats. At times, the orchestra members would want to get up and join the dancers rather than sitting for 2 whole hours and enduring the numbness, and at times, the dancers would want to relax their legs from all the pounding and sit on the mat and sing and play the songs.
Krishnaarpanam. The practices actually started last year around April. My friends and I only joined the practices during September. At that time, our practices were only once or twice a month. So it was the average come-sit-down-play-and-go-home thing, I think. But practices grew more intense when 2007 started. Of course, things started moving, I mean we were more serious into our practices. Shankar anna would come and explain to us the meaning of the songs, and in turn we would try express the music according to his explanation.
February went by in a blink of an eye. Once again, I say, practices grew more intense, more scoldings. Haha! Then we had practices with the dancers. Now, things were moving really fast for we had to play correctly and at the right speed. And naturally, when the music's fast , you could see smoke emerging from the dancers' feet - I'm saying it metaphorically!!! Shankar anna was there to make sure we didn't bungle. So you could say that he and teacher were sort of the conductors of the production.
The first day of the show, an 'interesting' experience. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes. ah but that's all normal. One would still feel nervous even though he or she knew the work at the tip of the fingers. The music was running at 18o miles an hour, the dancers were trying so hard to keep up, their feet steaming, and out of all that, the musicians were not allowed to slow down the speed because Shankar anna said it would cause some confusion for the dancers. Every one of the orchestra had made at least 4 to 6 mistakes. How tragic!!! Oh ya!!! and the final song of the whole show, the Madhava Panchakam was the hit for all of us! Well, if you were there to watch it, then I don't have to say. The last verse of the song had automatically picked up speed from God knows where, and then the whole interlude was 'amazing' - in other words 'unbelievably crazy'!!! (I don't know how else to say it; forgive me). Shankar anna of course, I think, was enjoying it... aiyo!
The second day was the best, I mean literally. Everything was good, from sound to dancing, singing, the music. Maybe it was because all of us finally gave all our heart and soul to this last performance. According to most of them, the music was beautiful, the dance was extraordinary, the narration - Madana Gopala if you are reading this, then, at least let me say something good - was great and awakening to the whole lot of us and the audience. So you can say that everything went on well. One last dose of preparation by Appa and Shankar anna and Kanagamani teacher finally lifted us up into the air say, we're ready!!!
Krishnaarpanam was wonderful and heart lifting for all of us, including the audience. It brought many pictures to life for those who were eager to know about Krishna and his pranks. Krishnaarpanamastu... Narayana Narayana... hehe.
Narada: Propagating the path of Bhakthi.
Madangopal Narayanan
When I first started off practice for Narada, the few thoughts that occured to my mind was "whooh this is much harder than dancing, it really drains you mentally". As practice went on over the next few days, I realised that a lot of things that Uncle Ket had said when we were doing things like Ramayana (ages ago) all seemed to make sense now. I actually understood it because I experienced it.
But halfway through when Shankar anna came and made some changes and stuff, I was thrown off balance at first because I think there was some kind of mental block; then there were all those late nights with Shankar anne until 2 am which made it even worse. But one night, he sat and he talked with me for a long time about Venkatakavi and about Narada... that made life very much easier because Ii began to appreciate Venkatakavi even more. And I felt I was beginning to understand the concept of Narada and his role in Krishnaarpanam.
It was then that I realised how much study had to be done, how much u had to know about the character u were going to play. But things still didn't seem perfect: the first day of the show went by and I wasn't that satisfied. I didn't feel like Narada. On the 2nd day however, Shankar anne kept on drumming into my head that the purpose was to share the knowledge of this great path of bhakthi. That blessed day, during the puja before the show, it suddenly hit me. I felt like I found the 'core of the character'. Narada was the Lord's friend and servant, propagating the path of bhakthi for the liberation of all mankind. Narayana Narayana.
Narada(madman)
