ONLINE: Acknowledging digital performances with Geeta Chandran’s Bhuvaneshwara

Geeta Chandran (file photo by Anoop Arora)

The times are tough. From the news, it appears that there is no respite from the COVID-19 situation, at least not in India, and in the near future, there seems to be no change imminent. But however tough the times are, can you live without your soul? I think not. The arts are the soul of human beings, the ennobling qualities that have been imbibed through the process of evolution over several decades. I’m happy to see dancers and artists adapting to the new normal, which is making videos of their performances in their small home spaces and putting them up on several portals. This attempt is not to review or to report any performance, but just to acknowledge the dancer’s effort, which is vital, and also the emotional boost that it can give to the audience.

I begin my attempt with very aesthetically made video of Geeta Chandran, which is a tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore during the lockdown.

https://www.facebook.com/DancerGeetaChandran/videos/10158179941442649

Bhuvaneshwara features very gentle music with some percussion and little other instrumentation. Geetaji has tried to focus not on the footwork but basically on the hands and mukhabhinaya. It’s a very peaceful message during these very disturbing times that god is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. The bhavas and the mukhabhinaya are very beautifully rendered, expressing delight at seeing the Almighty.

Here is a link to the report of when I first watched Geeta ji perform Bhuvaneshwara: http://delhiculturecomment.blogspot.com/2014/09/vishwaroopam-in-nritya-roop.html