Translator’s note: This is a faithful English rendering of the original Kannada review, lightly edited for natural flow while preserving its critical observations and cultural terminology.
For nearly two hours, Kumari Ananya Sharma danced with effortless energy and held the audience spellbound. The gifted Bharatanatyam artiste made her formal Rangapravesha on 18 July 2026 at the New Horizon College of Engineering auditorium in Marathahalli, Bengaluru, earning warm appreciation from connoisseurs of the art.
Ananya is a promising artistic creation shaped by the exceptional choreography and training of Smt. Abhinayaa Natarajan—an accomplished dancer, dedicated teacher and the guiding force behind Bengaluru’s well-known Natarajarangam School of Dance. The seventeen-year-old appeared on stage with a radiant smile and remarkable self-confidence. Her graceful nritta, sculptural poses and command over the many dimensions of angashuddha made her performance distinctive.
An Auspicious Opening
The recital began with a Pushpanjali composed by Sri Madurai Muralidharan in Raga Rasikapriya. Through captivating movement patterns, Ananya entered the stage and offered her reverential salutations to the deities, her guru and elders, and the assembled lovers of dance. The attractive poses in her fluid dancing had the finish and stillness of sculpture.
This was followed by the Tanjore Quartet’s Murugan Kauthuvam in Raga Shanmukhapriya, through which the glory and distinctive attributes of Lord Muruga were unfolded with finesse.
“Her smiling confidence, sculptural poses and clear command of Bharatanatyam’s grammar gave the recital its special character.”
Responding to the kavithuvam rendered in her guru’s clear voice, Ananya portrayed the elegance and gait of the peacock through mayura mudras, expressive angika abhinaya and a visually arresting garland of movement. The refinement of her subtle padabhedas, graceful bhramaris and airy akashacharis was especially noteworthy.
Rhythmic Precision and the Heart of the Recital
The Jatiswaram in Raga Saraswati was a composition of pure dance that illuminated every element of Bharatanatyam’s grammar with precision. Although it was entirely a nritta-based presentation, Ananya invested it with life, brightness and individuality.
The major milestone of the evening was the Varnam—truly the soul of the recital. Here, Ananya displayed her understanding of tala and laya, as well as a formidable memory, presenting extended sequences of dance with variety and confidence.
The long and deeply devotional Varnam, “Sakhiye Inda Jalam…”, set in Raga Shankarabharanam and composed by Dandayudhapani Pillai, became an unforgettable centrepiece. With mature abhinaya, Ananya revealed the subtle emotional layers of the virahotkanthita nayika—the heroine distressed by separation. Immersing herself in the role, she moved through its many shades of longing with sensitivity.
In the Varnam’s sanchari passages, she dramatically evoked the boundless devotion of Hathiram Bhavaji and the compassion of Hari through the story of Gajendra Moksha. Guru Abhinayaa’s cascading, rhythmically charged nattuvangam gave the dance an equal brilliance.
Vidushi Jayashree Ajay Kumar’s emotive singing, Prithvi Krishna’s mridangam, Venugopal’s flute, Arjun’s violin and Prasanna Kumar’s carefully shaped soundscape together created a rich musical environment that supported Ananya’s pleasing performance. Her disciplined use of hand gestures, clean adavus and well-finished angika abhinaya remained consistently attractive.
Devotion, Delicacy and a Joyful Finale
In the second half, Ananya gave a highly energetic interpretation of Sri Purandaradasa’s composition “Chandrachooda Shiva Shankara, Parvati Ramana, Ninage Namo”, set in a Ragamalika and Adi Tala. With striking poses and spirited abhinaya, she effectively conveyed the divine core of the work.
She then presented the Javalli “Matadabaaradeno…”, composed by Bengaluru Nagarathnamma in Raga Khamach. Through delicate and nuanced abhinaya, Ananya traced the emotional turbulence of a lovelorn heroine, touching the audience with the tenderness of her interpretation.
The recital concluded with a celebratory, Krishna-themed Tillana and Mangala. In the joyous conversation of steps and ankle bells, Ananya brought her offering of dance to a memorable and delightful close.
About the author
Y. K. Sandhya Sharma
A well-known Kannada writer, poet, journalist, theatre practitioner, columnist and critic of dance and drama. She is the editor-in-chief of Sandhya magazine, founder of Abhinava Prakashana and president of Sandhya Kalavidaru, the amateur theatre group established with her husband, playwright-director-actor S. V. Krishna Sharma.
Source & credits
Translated from the Kannada article published by Roovari on July 22, 2026. Review by Y. K. Sandhya Sharma. Photographs reproduced from the original article for this English presentation.
Read the original Kannada article ↗