Ashtapadi performed by Aranyani

Excerpt from a Bharatanatyam recital by dancer Aranyani Bhargav at the India International Centre, New Delhi on Sunday, February 28th 2016.
In this Ashtapadi, Radha reminisces about the times she spent with Krishna and tells her sakhi (friend) to quickly go and bring him to her. She says - "That Krishna, the slayer of the demon Keshi, bring him to me quickly so that I can unite with him - so I can embrace him and kiss him."
She goes onto reminisce about when Krishna asked her to come to the forest in the night, and how she covered herself under a veil and removed her anklets to go and meet him. She recalls how he hid behind a tree and threw a creeper at her to scare her, and under that pretext to take her into his arms.
Radha goes on to tell her sakhi - "The first time we made love, I was quite shy at first. But he said so many wonderful things to convince me. As he compared my face with the moon, and the eyes of a deer to mine, he stealthily disrobed me. What guts he has!"
In the final stanza, Radha says - "After we made love, we were so ecstatic that we could barely keep our eyelids open. I was so tired that I felt like a fallen creeper in need of support. But Krishna was that support, like a tree to a creeper, and he was still full of love."
Radha ends with sending her friend in search of Krishna and waits for him as she watches the moon rise.
Performed by Aranyani Bhargav (www.aranyani.in)
Choreographed by Smt. Bragha Bessell
Vocals by Sudha Raghuraman
Nattuvangam by G Elangovan
Mridangam by R Kesavan
Flute by G Raghuraman

[@aninditachakravarty7385]

Your form is beautiful, and your dance is soo very expressive. I had no idea Bharatnatyam could be this way!

[@aranyanidance]

Thank you :)

[@humann6739]

Wonderful. Those eyes speak many stories between the Lord and his love. Is the dancer a foreigner?

[@aranyanidance]

No no. The dancer is very much Indian :)