Smt. Alarmel Valli

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Aug 2008, 00:11

Even the mere name evokes grace and poetry. No surprise that her dancing is all quicksilvery charm with a wonderful core. One of my all time favorite dancers - for me, she makes the beauty of this form manifest, just like Smt. Sanjukta Panigrahi did it for Odissi. Here is an extremely well edited profile of Smt. Valli posted on youtube in 2 parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFS78c0D ... re=related
This part has glimpses of Smt. Mukta - and how unassuming she was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlLMygRg ... re=related

Followed by a portrayal of the exuberant kadanakutUhalam tillAnA - she brings the ebulient effervesence of this rAgA in general, and this composition in particular to life with each and every movement with seemingly effortless ease - makes one understand why Smt. Balasarasvati likened the tillAnA to the mangaLa hAratI.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNNFbAxBouM

poonmahe · Post by **poonmahe** » 25 Nov 2008, 23:28

Love her as a dancer and performer and respect her as a contributor to this Art. Some day I would like to discuss Mythhilli Prakash in this forum. Thanks for the quick links to Alarmel Valli.

saawariya · Post by **saawariya** » 03 Jan 2009, 05:13

there is another thillana which has a unique choreography...you can download and watch it at the following link:
http://www.4shared.com/file/78660928/2f ... d_flv.html

this thillana has no sahityam...thats the unique part...
although the video says its a varnam...its in fact a thillana...but which ragam is it I am unable to tell. Help here?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 Jan 2009, 09:19

wonderful videos of Alarmel Valli. Thanks for the links, rshankar and saawariya.

saawariya, the raga of that thillana is hamsanandi (?)

saawariya · Post by **saawariya** » 05 Jan 2009, 07:59

hamsanandi ragam it is...just wanted to make sure to refer the right ragam in future...

natyasri123 · Post by **natyasri123** » 30 Jan 2009, 15:04

i feel this is something adapted from kathak. the dancer actually comes forward and recites the sollus and then she performs the same along with the mridangist. its very interesting to watch for the rasika and the dancer has a boost from the sheer energy or the pace of it. i think they do it in 'tarana' which is often compared to our own tillanas.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Apr 2009, 07:53

If ever the word tillAnA was derived from 'dil lehlAnA', then here is the proof - ebullient, effervescent, and oh so gracefully lovely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNUY5Dj0E5s - watch the kuntalavarALi tillAna of Sri BMK literally spring to life.