Dayton Daily News
DAYTON, OHIO, USA, September 28, 2004: Don’t understand Sanskrit? Don’t know a thing about Hindu mythology or scripture? You still would have found much to enjoy in Gajamukha, a marvelous touring dance and music production that was presented by the Indian Foundation Saturday night. The Northmont High School Auditorium was only half-full for what may prove to be one of the best dance performances of the new season based on versatility, power and expressiveness of the six dancers and the first-rate musicianship of the accompanying quintet. Although Jayanthi Raman was the featured dancer, it was her choreography, staging and seamless meshing of Indian classical and folk dance forms that were most impressive in the two-act dance drama about the elephant-headed god Ganesha. The Portland, Oregon, based director and teacher created the production with a grant from the National Dance Project and cast it in Chennai, India.
The ballet’s five segments were preceded by helpful if incomplete summaries in English. Many of Indian heritage in the audience understood what was taking place even if they couldn’t follow the lyrics that were sung, spoken and layered with intonation by the vocalist who sat in the midst of musicians playing the stringed veena, bamboo flute and drums of the double-headed, frame, hollow and clay pot varieties. They supported and propelled the performers with their energy. The drummers’ hands worked in counterpoint to the accented slaps of the strongly arched and bare feet of the dancers, whose undulating arms, hands and darting eyes worked in tandem with the waves of sound and atmospheric effects from the veena. The Hindu faithful invoke Ganesha to overcome obstacles, but there were no serious barriers to enjoying a presentation that explained, among other things, how the moon first began to wax and wane. A tusk hurled by Ganesha, in response to the moon’s laughter, served as the catalyst.