Malavika Takes Abhinaya to New Heights

For old school critics of Malavika who dismiss Malakiva's Abhinaya, they are missing the point entirely. I just finished watching Malavika's performance at the Kennedy Center in DC. I was floored. There were tears in my eyes. A standing ovation was all I could muster at the end of an intensely moving show. Last night it occurred to me that Malavika's concept of abhinaya was a contemporary one. Unlike the old school gurus her abhinaya was not merely confined to her face. It is in every mudra, every adavus, every note and most importantly in the total environment that she creates for her audience. The paintings that she used for her set design. The single note of the temple bell that punctuated and signaled the end of a piece. This is how Malavika subtly infuses her modern spirit into the rigorous classical space of Bharatanatyam. It easy to do fusion - to tinker on the edges of a classical art form. But to dissect each adavu and koraivai and modify it. And then to add another layer of sound and light to amplify her movements was a stroke of brillance. Malavika is firmly in that league of great masters who have transcended technique. Let me give you a few concrete examples. Malavika used a rectangle, a square and a circle to create distinct dark and light spaces on the stage floor. She often stood on the edge of these shapes as opposed to the center. Her ability to play with light and shadow infused her movements with a meditative aura. This transformed the mystery and beauty of the sculptural qualities she brought to the art form. She curated herself within the light/dark spaces with impecabble rhythm. Similarly, she used classical temple instruments like the temple bell and the conch to add a layer of authenticity to her piece. These pieces although often used in a temple are seldom part of the classical Bharatanatyam orchastra. Her pieces on Durga and Shiva were indeed very classical choices. Yet these characters felt raw, fresh and alive when she danced them to life at the Kennedy Center. Finally the way she punctuated her adavus was striking. Bharatanatyam dancers are often subject to rigid rules as to how to execute certain movements. Malavika followed all the rules but surprised the audience with the delivery of it. The trembling of her fingers to represent fire transformed a simple mudra into a fiery ball of fire. To decode Malavika one has to watch her really closely. On the surface she may appear very classical and almost traditional. But she is far from it. From her frequent use of back to the audience - which is traditional dance schools is frowned upon as being vulgar - to her exquisite marriage of lights, music and voice to bring the stories to live, Malavika has redefined Bharata Natyam and made it a universal language. For those seeking to copy Malaviak I say watch her dance. Malavika seldom gives interviews and I have found her interviews very disappointing. I realized that her primary vocabulary is movement. Not words. Words cannot convey the essence of what she is trying to do. Watching her might give a sense. Malavika is authentic because she owns her style and is honest about what works for her. She does not take shortcuts and I have never seen her resort to cheap tricks. Every show I have seen of hers have been original - she has a strong concept and works around it faithfully. She is disciplined too. She does not bring too many elements into her show. She is committed to evolving as an artist and that truly sets her apart from many of her peers who seem more interested in the performance dimension as opposed to the creative dimension.