Ashavari Majumdar, a talented Kathak dancer from Delhi, presented Nirakar, a solo recital, at Gyan Manch on November 6. Nurtured by the Kathak maestro, Birju Maharaj, Majumdar’s effortless grace and restrained approach added a special dimension to her performance. The evening began with an introductory piece in dhrupad style, followed by ardhang, an invocation to Shiva. With bold, but soft, movements, crisp footwork and elegant postures, the artist did justice to this wonderful composition. Despite her proper understanding of the idiom and her command over rhythm, the pure dance numbers weren’t impressive.

Based on teentaal, the traditional compositions such as tihai, tukra and paran failed to touch a chord. The lack of rehearsal with the accompanists and an unprofessional attitude marred the entire presentation. However, abhinaya with the thumri, Hato jao chhero na kanhai, impressed with its subtle expressions. The artist was accompanied by Ambika Mishra (tabla), Sunando Mukherjee (sarod), Ranjita Mukherjee (vocals), Dhruvo Sahai (sarangi) and the excellent Sujata on bol parhant. Sudip Sanyal’s lighting created a perfect ambience.