Nataraja Utsava
The Karnataka Nrityakala Parishat conducts "Nataraja Utsava" every year, to encourage male dancers. This year also there were six dance performances by two seasoned artistes.
Darshan Abhivadhye, who presented the inaugural dance, is a disciple of Srinivasan Rajendran. He began his programme with a Pushpanjali customarily, followed by "Gam Ganapathe."
In the "Ananda Tandava" (Purvi Kalyani), different postures were attractive and the tillana was also a pleasant one. Gopala Krishna, a student of Sanjay Shantaram, caught the attention with his powerful foot work in the Ardhanareeshwara shloka. For taranga, he chose was a Kannada devaranama (Baro Krishnaiah), instead of the regular Narayana Teertha composition. He performed on the brass plate, which was like a mini version of the taranga.
Vigneswara Krithi (Raga Rishabha Priya) was the opening piece of Nagaraja, a disciple of B K Vasanthalakshmi and moved to a Daru of Dr Muthaiah Bhagavathar and concluded with a Shivakrithi (Chandrasekharam Bhajami Santatam). All the three male dancers performed with confidence and was a proof of their good training and their future is worth watching.
Rasa Sanje programme
Music and dance programmes were held as part of "Rasa Sanje," under the auspices of Venkatesha Natya Mandira. Dr Suma Sudhindra, who gave the first programme of the series, is an internationally acclaimed Veena player and principal of Tarangini Music Academy. Suma Sudhindra's opening choice - a varna in the Raga Durbar is a familiar piece. But she made it very attractive by presenting it in a lightening speed in five kaalas. Chittaswara of "Swararaga Laya" was also lively.
Raga Dharmavati is the 59th mela and was known by different names earlier. Though Tyagaraja has not composed in this raga, later composers like Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan (Melaragamalika), Veena Seshanna and Kotiswara Ayyar have, have composed beautiful compositions.
Dharmavati received a detailed airing and the pallavi (adi taala, khanda nade) showed her in a fine fettle. The melodious "Naada" of veena and a lively presentation caught the audience attention.
M N Ganesh Kumar on violin, Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma on mridanga, B R Ravi Kumar on ghata and Srilatha (co-player on veena) - gave a good support.
Percussion ensemble
Five percussionists (Laya Surabhi) took part in the percussion ensemble at the "Rasa Sanje" festival. S V Balakrishna (mridanga), N Amruth (Khanjari), Dayanand Mohithe (ghata),
S V Giridhar (morching) and R Ramesh (dholak) - performed under the directions of M Vasudeva Rao.
Malhari gave them a flying start. J K Sridhar on violin played a pallavi (Mohana) and the percussionists played the "Tani" in breathtaking permutations and combinations.
Starting slowly in "Vilamba Kaala," it gradually moved to "Madhyama Kaala" in different rollicking Nade (Tisra, Khanda, etc). It was embellished well and it had a stimulating aplomb.
Young dancer
Geetha Srikrishna is learning Bharatanatya at Sadhana Sangama in Basaveshwaranagar and has passed the senior examination also. After her Rangapravesha in 2009, she has participated in several dance ballets like - "Bombe Jeeva Bhava," "Navarasa Devi, etc." Apart from performing under the aegis of local organisations, she has also performed in Mysore, Mandya and Singapore.
In the current programme, Geetha included Devaranama, Keertana, Jawadi and a Tillana. Childhood acts of Krishna were well depicted, dramatising the situations in "Yenu Pellali Gopi." The "Annapurne Vishalakshi" of Dikshithar, is a popular keertane on Devi. The jawadi - "Marulagihe Na Manany" - provided ample opportunity to exhibit her Abhinaya talent and the tillana in Bagesri, was a fitting finale.
Geetha Srikrishna performed with ease and assurance and can reach great heights with higher training and more stage experience.
Kanchana Sriranjini's vocal was inspiring and Sushma wielded the cymbals.
Janardhan, Venugopal and Madhusudhan, accompanied on mridanga, flute and violin, respectively.
The Karnataka Nrityakala Parishat conducts "Nataraja Utsava" every year, to encourage male dancers. This year also there were six dance performances by two seasoned artistes.
Darshan Abhivadhye, who presented the inaugural dance, is a disciple of Srinivasan Rajendran. He began his programme with a Pushpanjali customarily, followed by "Gam Ganapathe."
In the "Ananda Tandava" (Purvi Kalyani), different postures were attractive and the tillana was also a pleasant one. Gopala Krishna, a student of Sanjay Shantaram, caught the attention with his powerful foot work in the Ardhanareeshwara shloka. For taranga, he chose was a Kannada devaranama (Baro Krishnaiah), instead of the regular Narayana Teertha composition. He performed on the brass plate, which was like a mini version of the taranga.
Vigneswara Krithi (Raga Rishabha Priya) was the opening piece of Nagaraja, a disciple of B K Vasanthalakshmi and moved to a Daru of Dr Muthaiah Bhagavathar and concluded with a Shivakrithi (Chandrasekharam Bhajami Santatam). All the three male dancers performed with confidence and was a proof of their good training and their future is worth watching.
Rasa Sanje programme
Music and dance programmes were held as part of "Rasa Sanje," under the auspices of Venkatesha Natya Mandira. Dr Suma Sudhindra, who gave the first programme of the series, is an internationally acclaimed Veena player and principal of Tarangini Music Academy. Suma Sudhindra's opening choice - a varna in the Raga Durbar is a familiar piece. But she made it very attractive by presenting it in a lightening speed in five kaalas. Chittaswara of "Swararaga Laya" was also lively.
Raga Dharmavati is the 59th mela and was known by different names earlier. Though Tyagaraja has not composed in this raga, later composers like Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan (Melaragamalika), Veena Seshanna and Kotiswara Ayyar have, have composed beautiful compositions.
Dharmavati received a detailed airing and the pallavi (adi taala, khanda nade) showed her in a fine fettle. The melodious "Naada" of veena and a lively presentation caught the audience attention.
M N Ganesh Kumar on violin, Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma on mridanga, B R Ravi Kumar on ghata and Srilatha (co-player on veena) - gave a good support.
Percussion ensemble
Five percussionists (Laya Surabhi) took part in the percussion ensemble at the "Rasa Sanje" festival. S V Balakrishna (mridanga), N Amruth (Khanjari), Dayanand Mohithe (ghata),
S V Giridhar (morching) and R Ramesh (dholak) - performed under the directions of M Vasudeva Rao.
Malhari gave them a flying start. J K Sridhar on violin played a pallavi (Mohana) and the percussionists played the "Tani" in breathtaking permutations and combinations.
Starting slowly in "Vilamba Kaala," it gradually moved to "Madhyama Kaala" in different rollicking Nade (Tisra, Khanda, etc). It was embellished well and it had a stimulating aplomb.
Young dancer
Geetha Srikrishna is learning Bharatanatya at Sadhana Sangama in Basaveshwaranagar and has passed the senior examination also. After her Rangapravesha in 2009, she has participated in several dance ballets like - "Bombe Jeeva Bhava," "Navarasa Devi, etc." Apart from performing under the aegis of local organisations, she has also performed in Mysore, Mandya and Singapore.
In the current programme, Geetha included Devaranama, Keertana, Jawadi and a Tillana. Childhood acts of Krishna were well depicted, dramatising the situations in "Yenu Pellali Gopi." The "Annapurne Vishalakshi" of Dikshithar, is a popular keertane on Devi. The jawadi - "Marulagihe Na Manany" - provided ample opportunity to exhibit her Abhinaya talent and the tillana in Bagesri, was a fitting finale.
Geetha Srikrishna performed with ease and assurance and can reach great heights with higher training and more stage experience.
Kanchana Sriranjini's vocal was inspiring and Sushma wielded the cymbals.
Janardhan, Venugopal and Madhusudhan, accompanied on mridanga, flute and violin, respectively.