10th dance festival

10th Dance Festival

3rd to 9th January, 2016

The Music Academy Madras

THE MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS

Mr. Roy Kho,Consul General,

Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai

Inaugurates the Dance Festival

Main Sponsor : Associate Sponsors:

168, T.T.K. Road, Chennai 600 014 • Tel : 2811 22 31/2811 5162E-mail : [email protected] • Website : www.musicacademymadras.in

THE MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS

DANCE FESTIVAL 20163rd to 9th January 2016, at the T.T. Krishnamachari Auditorium

Smt. Alarmel ValliReceives the award and the title of ‘Natya Kala Acharya’

Mr. Roy KhoConsul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai

Inaugurates5.30 p.m. Sunday, January 3, 2016

Date 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m. 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m. 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

3.1.2016Lavanya AnanthBharatanatyam

KalakshetraJatayu MokshamDance Drama

4.1.2016Medha HariBharatanatyam

Sunanda NairMohiniattam

Malavika SarukkaiBharatanatyam

Sreelatha VinodBharatanatyam

5.1.2016Shweta Prachande Bharatanatyam

Navia NatarajanBharatanatyam

Sathyanarayana RajuBharatanatyam

Nrityagram Odissi

6.1.2016Lakshmi Parthasarathy AthreyaBharatanatyam

Pavitra BhatBharatanatyam

Mythili PrakashBharatanatyam

Narthaki NatarajBharatanatyam

7.1.2016Sumithra SubramaniamBharatanatyam

Kirti RamgopalBharatanatyam

Rama VaidyanathanBharatanatyam

Vedantam Radhesyam TroupeBhamakalapamKuchipudi

8.1.2016Vishal KrishnaKathak

Amrita LahiriKuchipudi

Alarmel ValliBharatanatyam

Arushi MudgalOdissi

9.1.2016Apoorva JayaramanBharatanatyam

Daya TomikoBharatanatyam

Sheejith KrishnaBharatanatyam

Leela Samson and Spanda / Priti Patel and Anjika – present“Panchattva”

In Memory of Late Sri. P. Obul Reddy & Late Smt. P. Gnanamba

By Sri P. Vijaykumar Reddy & Smt. Preetha Reddy

510th Dance Festival THE MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS

Dance Festival Committee Sri. N. Murali (Ex – Officio)Sri. C.V. Karthik NarayananDr. Malathi RangaswamiSri. R. SrinivasanDr. Chithra MadhavanMs. Kala Ramesh RaoSmt. Kami VishwanathanSmt. Sujatha VijayaraghavanSri. S. RaghavanSri. K. V. Krishna Prasad (Ex-Officio)Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao (Ex-Officio)Sri. V. Srikanth (Ex–Officio) Sri. R. Ramakrishnan (EX-Officio)Sri. N. Ramji - Convenor

Editorial Committee - Dance Festival Brochure 2015 Dr. Chithra Madhavan Ms. Kala Ramesh Rao Dr. Meenakshi (Sumathi) Krishnan Sri. S. Raghavan

Sri N. MuraliPresident

The Music Academy Madras

Visit Academy’s website

www.musicacademymadras.in

The Executive Committee, The Music Academy Madras President Sri. N. Murali

Vice Presidents Sri. R.T.Chari Sri. C.V. Karthik Narayan Dr. Malathi Rangaswami Smt. Prabha Sridevan Sri. R. Seshasayee Sri. R. SrinivasanSecretaries Sri. K.V. Krishna Prasad Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao Sri. N. Ramji Sri. V. SrikanthTreasurer Sri. R. Ramakrishnan

Members of the Executive Committee Dr. Chithra Madhavan Sri. N.Gopalaswami Ms. Kala Ramesh Rao Smt. Kami Viswanathan Smt. Kripa Subrahmaniam Dr. Meenakshi (Sumathi) Krishnan Sri. S. Raghavan Sri. V. Sriram Smt. Sujatha Vijayaraghavan Sri. N. Suresh Sri. S. Swaminathan Sri. P. Vasanth Kumar

6THE MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS 10th Dance Festival

Alarmel ValliNatya Kala Acharya 2016

Born on September 14, 1956 at Madras (now Chennai) to Uma and C. Muthukumaraswamy, Alarmel Valli is one of India’s best known arts personalities. A graduate in English literature from Stella Maris College and a diploma holder in French from the Alliance Francaise, she trained in Bharatanatyam in the Pandanallur Style under Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Subbaraya Pillai. Her debut performance was in 1966. Alarmel Valli also trained in the Odissi style of dance, her gurus being Kelucharan Mahapatra and his disciple Ramani Ranjan Jena. She is besides proficient in Carnatic music, having learnt the art from Alathur Panchapakesa Iyer and Sangita Kala Acharya T. Muktha.

Alarmel Valli’s is a life dedicated to dance. She has performed at several prestigious

locations in India and abroad. In 1984, she set up Dipasikha – her foundation for dance, music and choreography. She has also emerged over the years as a choreographer, curator and researcher, her areas of interest, all of them with a dance focus, ranging from the ancient Sangam works to the contemporary. In this, she has worked with several poets, scholars, musicians and fellow dancers. Her contribution to the world of dance has been richly recognised with awards and titles from all across the world. At least three films have been made on her art.

The Music Academy, Madras takes pride in conferring on her the title of Natya Kala Acharya for 2016.


Natya Kala Acharya AwardInstituted by Drs. Engikollai Krishnan and Leela Krishnan in the memory of

Smt.Meenakshi and Mysore Asthana Vidvan Engikollai Chidambara Ganapatigal.

Recipient

January 2012 – Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam

January 2013 – Smt. Sudharani Raghupathy

January 2014 – Smt. Chitra Visweswaran

January 2015 – Kum. Leela Samson


Spirit of Youth27th Annual Spirit of Youth Festival of Music and Dance held at Kasturi Srinivasan Hall. Music Academy from 2nd August, 2015 to 11th August, 2015

Sl.No Category Name of Artistes Endowed by Donor

1. Best Dancer Meera SreenarayananSudharma Vaithiyanathan

Sri Gutty Vasu Memorial Prize Endowed by Srinivasa Prasad International Foundation for the Performing Arts

2. 2nd Best Dancer R. Gayathri

3. Dance Guru Award (for Guru of Best Dancer in Spirit of Youth)

Ms. Nirmala NagarajSri. A. Lakshmanaswamy

Late P. Obul Reddy


Whither our Dancer?by K. Chandrasekharan

(Former Vice-President, The Music Academy, Madras)

When we witness the bewildering increase of our babies and kumaris taking to dance and gathering crowds at their Arangetrams, the one question which naturally rises on our lips is ‘whither do they go; is to become perfect artistes or remain amateurs endlessly?’ Even while learning the art of Bharata Natya, the aim of parents generally seems to be to have their daughters practise the art of dancing as one of their accomplishments. For, many of the girls merely succeed in showing off their talents on the stage for an hour or two through the usual programme of dance items and pass off as budding artistes with an acclamation by the press also of their promises. Within a year or two of their debut on the stage, they either leave the knowledge gained in a moment of parental decision to usher them into married lives or themselves seek other professions owing to their academic qualifications obtained from the University. So all the preparations and heavy expenses end in a Tamasha.

The way artistes begin learning Bharata Natya is also queer. For, with no idea of the elements of music, they just enter the field in a dance school. The teacher of dance also does rarely insist on the trainee possessing a knowledge of music. The teacher only helps the parents to achieve their ambition of seeing their daughters dressed in attractive costumes and sparkling jewels before the footlights, striking the audience by their

figures as well as by occasionally graceful movements. The lack of music perhaps will soon dig the grave for the art. The wonder which Abhinaya is, hardly receives more than a few attempts at portraying Bhavas by the young artistes. But the essential fact about Bharata Natya is, if the Abhinaya does not really aid the performer to enter into a world of imagination, the entire dance becomes a waste. For a supply of greater stimulus for portraying varieties of Bhavas suited to vivify the theme, the artiste needs filling her soul with music. The language of gesture can always convey subtler nuances of feeling and fancy than even words ever can. Meaningful strands of imageries can skilfully weave a tapestry of aesthetic experiences. Unless music has a hold on the soul of the dancer, her powers of expression in Abhinaya will no more draw the heart of the Sahridaya than a street-dancer’s jumps and swirls accompanying the rustic tune and noise of the drum.

Abhinaya is not easy of mastery. It cannot be taught in its finer aspects. It has to be inborn in order to lift the dancer herself to awaken to an existence where feelings and refined emotions could readily engage the Rasikas en rapport with her own creations. The artiste needs to be steeped in our culture before everything else. Episodes from our epics and Puranas should have already stored up her memory with pictures of the


chief characters represented. The scene and situation of a stirring theme such as the swallowing of the burning poison by God Siva should not merely represent the act of taking a quantity in the hollow of the right palm by the God but strike as heroic attempt on His part to save the universe from the effects of the Kala Koota Visha – an act of supreme compassion by forgetting oneself of the likely harm to oneself by its power of annihilation. Again, if Lord Krishna were to be presented in the battle-field of Kurukshetra, seated in his chariot and starting to blow the famed conch, it must lie with the artiste’s imagination to so portrary the act of blowing the conch as to throw a challenge not merely to the enemy on the battle-field but to the entire world with the symbolical message of the Gita, challenging the ever-growing conflict in the human soul.

Bharata Natya lives only in Abhinaya and not in the scrupulously gained accuracy of the Laya. Abhinaya alone can win laurels for an artiste in having transformed an audience from mere gazers into participating sahridayas.

Our perennial query thus remains whither do these dancers, immature of mind and imagination, proceed? Do they want the crowds to admire their costumes and decors and their unfailing quick movements or do they ever seek to rouse reflection upon the glory of an art that tries to impart a message of hope to the entire world of which Bharata Maharishi was full.

““‹Ê∑§Ê¬Œ‡Ê¡ŸŸ¢ ŸÊ≈UK◊ÃÃ˜Ô ÷ÁflcÿÁÃ””

(Reprinted from the Souvenir of The Music Academy 55th Annual Conference, 1981)


3rd January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Lavanya AnanthLavanya Ananth is the disciple of the late Gurus Swamimalai K.Rajarathnam Pillai and K.J.Sarasa. She has undergone training under the renowned abhinaya exponents Kalanidhi Narayanan and Bragha Bessel.

Lavanya has received many awards including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, Nadanamamani- Shriram Award of Excellence from Karthik Fine Arts, Vasanthalaksmi Narasimhachari Endowment award from Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha, Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharath Kalachar, the K.Chandrasekhar Endowment from The Music Academy and the T.S.Parthasarathy Award, Spirit of Youth festival, Music Academy.

She is an “A” grade artist from Doordarshan Kendra, New Delhi and Empanelled artiste of I.C.C.R.

Lavanya has visited many countries such as France, Holland, U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Japan and Sri Lanka on concert tours.

Programme

Song/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music

Composer

Anjali Kalyani Adi Mysore S.RajaramGokulambudi(Yashogeetham) Ragamalika Misra

Chapu Tanjore Quartet

Manavi chekona(Varnam) Shankarabharanam Adi Tanjore Quartet

Jagadhodharana(Devarnama) Kapi Adi Purandaradasa

Unnai thoodhanupinen (Padam) Saveri Adi Ghanam Krishna Iyer

Thillana Kedaram Adi Traditional(Vazhuvoor)

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam Neela SukhanyaVocal K. HariprasadMridangam Nellai KannanViolin Kalaiarasan RamanathanFlute Shruthi Sagar


3rd January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Jatayu Mokshampresented by Kalakshetra

Choreographed in 1965 by Rukmini Devi ArundaleMusic composed by Mysore Vasudevacharya

KalakshetraKalakshetra Foundation is a premier institution of classical dance, music and visual arts founded by the great visionary Rukmini Devi Arundale in the year 1936. It was recognised by the Government of India as an institution of national importance by an act of Indian Parliament in the year 1993 and became an autonomous body under Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

A note about the repertory companyThe Kalakshetra Repertory Company, formed in the early 1940s, is a one of its kind company, performing group works of Indian classical dance and music in India. The repertoire of the company

includes mythology based dance-dramas, classical and contemporary Bharatanatyam compositions, as well as programs of the varied folk dances of India. In particular, Kalakshetra’s dance-dramas have come to be recognized worldwide for their impeccable technique and aesthetic. A major part of these works are a legacy of the founder Padma Bhushan Rukmini Devi Arundale which account for over 25 productions.

SynopsisRama, Sita and Lakshmana enter the holy precincts of Sage Agastya’s ashram. The beauty of the lake named the Panchapsara Sarovar attracts their attention. As they happily look at the lotuses, water birds and


elephants which have come to quench their thirst at the lake, they are puzzled when they hear music. The invisible Apsaras of the lake play instruments which create the divine sound. Enraptured by the music, they proceed on their journey.

As they journey on they meet Jatayu, the eagle. At first they suspect the bird to be a demon in disguise. Rama challenges him and Jatayu introduces himself as the son of Syeni and Aruna and as a friend of their father Dasaratha. Rama and Lakshmana are overjoyed and honour Jatayu as their father. They are happy to have found a friend in the forest which is frequented by demons. Jatayu offers to protect Sita in their absence and leads them to Panchavati.

Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, is a ferocious rakshasi. She could take any form at will. She sees Rama and is captivated by his beauty. She approaches Rama proudly and introduces herself. She asks Rama to accept her love and discard the puny and ugly Sita who is unfit to be his wife. Rama is amused by her request and playfully tells her to accept Lakshmana as her husband. Rejected and scorned by the brothers, the enraged Surpanakha tries to pounce upon Sita. By Rama’s order, Lakshmana cuts off her ears and her nose. Crying out in pain Surpanakha swears revenge and leaves.

Ravana, the King of Lanka, is watching the dancers perform in his court. Just then, the disfigured Surpanakha arrives. She tells Ravana that she had tried to capture the beautiful Sita for him and that she had been disfigured for her effort. The enraged Ravana vows to avenge this insult to his sister. Ravana disguises himself as an ascetic, and leaves the court.

While Sita is stringing flowers in the forest, she suddenly looks up to see the golden deer. Enchanted by its appearance she entreats Rama to catch it for her. In spite of Lakshmana’s warning, Rama agrees and follows the deer leaving his brother to guard Sita. After a long chase, Rama senses that the deer is a demon. He kills it, but before dying, Maricha calls out to Sita and Lakshmana in the voice of Rama.

Sita is anguished when she hears Maricha’s cry. She implores Lakshmana to rush to Rama’s aid. Lakshmana tries to pacify her and refuses at first. But goaded by her cruel words he finally leaves the ashram in search of his brother.

Ravana appears before Sita in the guise of an ascetic. Sita innocently receives him with due respect, and is shocked when he declares himself to be Ravana, King of Lanka. Ravana tells her that he is overcome by her beauty and offers to make her his queen. Sita angrily spurns him. Enraged by her words Ravana assumes his own form and carries her away by force.

The noble Jatayu is aroused by Sita’s cries for help, and challenges Ravana. In the fierce fight which ensures, Ravana cruelly cuts off the wings and legs of the old bird, and Jatayu falls to the earth mortally wounded. The helpless Sita is carried off to Lanka. Searching the forest, Rama and Lakshmana come upon their noble friend lying on the ground. Just before he dies, Jatayu tells Rama that he had been maimed by Ravana when he had tried to rescue Sita from his clutches and that Ravana had carried Sita away towards the South.


Character DancerSri Rama Girish MadhuLakshmana SreenathSita Sharada AcharyaSishya AmalnathApsaras Reshmi, Aryamba, Krishnavadani, Dhanya, Shruthi Jatayu M.SaikrishnanSurpanakha Nirmala NagarajRavana K.M JayakrishnanMaricha Sibi SudarsanCourt Dancers Gayatri, Shalini, Krishna, AparnaCourt Attendants Kali, MukundanGolden Deer Janet JamesRavana as Sanyasi HaripadmanKinnaras Deepa Prakash, Surya, Reshma, Rajeshwari

MusiciansNattuvangam K.P RakeshVocal K. Hari PrasadMridangam K.P AnilkumarViolin R.SivakumarFlute SasidharVeena Ananthanarayanan


4th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Medha Hari

Medha Hari is a senior disciple of Anita Guha. She had her arangetram in 2001 and has been performing in all the major sabhas in Chennai ever since. Apart from solo performances she has taken part in productions of other senior artists such as the role of Satyabhama in Guru Vempati Chinnasatyam’s Sri Krishna Parijatam. She has been performing regularly at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana as part of various productions. In 2014 she toured nineteen North American cities as part of AIM for Seva to raise funds for underprivileged children in India.

She has participated in many dance festivals such as the Konark Festival, Uday Shankar Ballet and Dance Festival, and Swati Smriti

etc. She has had a major role in all the group productions of her Guru and worked with her on the project of Vana Virata Vijayam. She is also a faculty member in her Guru’s school and assists in training junior and senior students for competitions, performances and arangetrams.

She has been adjudged the best performer in the HCL Concert Series held by the Music Academy, Madras in 2014. She has won several awards like Natya Chudar from Karthik Fine arts and the Nrithya Pradarshanam from the Bhairavi Fine Arts at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Festival. She is also an empanelled artist with the ICCR and was part of a youth delegation to South Korea in 2014.


Programme

Song/Genre Ragam TalamComposer / Music

Composer

Pushpanjali Arabhi Adi M. Balamurali Krishna

Karuna Judave mi Chakkani Swami (Varnam)

Atana Adi Tanjore Quartet

Paluku Tenala Talli(Annamacharya Sankeerthanam)

Abheri Khanda Chapu Annamacharya

Thillana Sindhubhairavi Adi Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

Accompanying artistsNattuvangam Guru Anitha GuhaVocal K. HariprasadMridangam Ramshankar BabuViolin KalaiarasanFlute J.B. Sruthi Sagar


4th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Sunanda Nair

Programme

Song/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music

Composer Ganapati Slokam Arabhi Amba Bhairavi Talamalika Kavalam Narayana Panikker

Oru Magal Saveri Misra Chapu Aham poem, Kavalam Narayana Panikker

Teli viyalum (Padam) Punnagavarali Misra Chapu Swathi Tirunal

Kubja Yadukula Kambhoji, Madhyamavati Misra Chapu Kavalam Narayanan

Panikker

Accompanying ArtistsNattuvangam Kalashree Kalamandalam GopalakrishnanVocal Kalashree Kalamandalam GireeshanMridangam Satish KrishnamurthyViolin Srilakshmi VEddakkya R. NandakumarChoreography and Direction Padma Bhushan Dr. Kanak Rele

Sunanda Nair is an internationally recognised dancer in Mohini Attam, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. She is a disciple of noted Mohiniattam exponent Padma Bhushan Dr. Kanak Rele. She trained under Kalamandalam Krishnakutty Warrier for Kathakali. and Deepak Mazumdar, Mahalingam Pillai and Kadirvelu Pillai for Bharatanatyam. She is the first in India to obtain a Masters in Mohiniattam which she did from the University of Mumbai and is currently doing her

Ph.D. Sunanda has been part of many national and international festivals and has won acclaim for her impressive dancing skills.

She is an A grade artist of Central Doordarshan and is also an empanelled artist for ICCR. She has several awards to her credit such as Kalashree from the Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2011, Devadasi National Award 2014, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, Natya Mayuri from the Natyanjali Trust Chennai and Kala Nipuna at the Kalasamarpanam Fest, Mumbai.

She has toured widely in India and abroad for her performances.


4th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Malavika Sarukkai

Malavika Sarukkai was trained in Bharatanatyam by Gurus Kalyanasundaram, Swamimalai S.K.Rajarathnam and Kalanidhi Narayanan and has been performing for more than three decades. She is proficient in Odissi which she learnt from Gurus Kelucharan Mohapatra and Ramani Jena. She is a dancer, choreographer and teaches a few select students. She has performed in major dance festivals in India and abroad. Some of them are the Festivals of India in USA, France, UK, Japan, Spain, Brazil; International Festivals and Cultural Events at Jacob’s Pillow, UCLA, Asia Society, Theatre de la Ville, Edinburgh Festival, etc.

She has choreographed and performed solo thematic productions such as Krishna Rtu Krida, Shrinkala, Fireflies, Khajuraho -Temples of the Sacred and Secular, Uthkanta, Kasi Yatra-The Journey of a Courtesan, and Srotasvini-Multiple Streams, Vipinam-The Grove, Thejas-The Expanding Canvas, Ganga-Nitya Vahini-The Eternal River,

Love, Longing and Transcendence – Poems of Amir Khusrao, Maname Brindavaname and Sammohanam-Enchantment.

Malavika was invited to deliver the prestigious Coomaraswamy Memorial Lecture in Mumbai. She has collaborated with eminent Art Historian Dr. B.N. Goswamy creating a series of lecture performances linking Indian miniature painting and classical dance.

Malavika has received many awards such as Padma Shri from the President of India, SNA Award from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Raza Award from the Raza Foundation. Her artistry has also been filmed by the BBC, German TV and French Art Channel. In 2013 was released the film The Unseen Sequence directed by Sumantra Ghoshal, tracing Malavika’s journey of discovery in dance.


Programme

Song/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Thandaveshaha(verses from Balarama Bharatham)

Hamsadhvani Adi Karthika Thirunal Bala Rama Varma / B.Seetarama Sarma

Sumasayaka(Varnam) Kapi Rupakam Swathi Thirunal

Maninam(verses from Kamba Ramayanam)

Pantuvarali,Todi Adi Poet Kambar /Prema Ramamurthy

Mhara Olagiya(Meera Bhajan) Gaud Sarang Adi Meera Bai/Murali

Parthasarathy

Thillana Brindavani Adi M. Balamurali Krishna

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam S SrilathaVocal Murali Parthasarathy Mridangam Nellai A BalajiViolin Srilakshmi VenkatramaniFlute Sruthi Sagar

Other Credits Costume Designer Sandhya Raman


4th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Sreelatha VinodSreelatha Vinod had her initial training under Thanjai Arunachalam Pillai and subsequently came under the tutelage of Shantha and V.P.Dhananjayan in their dance institution Bharata Kalanjali. She has a Masters degree in Dance from the Madras University. She has played the lead roles in many productions of Bharata Kalanjali; some of the highlights being her portrayals of ‘Sanghamitra’ in ‘Ashoka Sanghamitra’, ‘Kaikeyi’ from the Ramayana series ‘Sita Rama Katha’ and ‘Radha’ in ‘Radha Madhavam’.

She has researched on the iconography of Shiva Nataraja images in the Madras Museum and The Bhakti Movement and its Influence on Bharatanatyam. Under the Junior Fellowship of Sangeet Natak Akademi she has done research on the Evolution of Bharatanatyam during the Maratha rule. She has presented research papers and lecture demonstrations and has conducted workshops in dance. She is an empanelled artist with the ICCR.

Awards bestowed on her include the Satya Lasya Sundaram from Bharathanjali Trust, Nadana Swaroopa Mammani from Thyagaraja Swami Sabha, Natya Shree from Kaladarpana-Kerala and Natya Kala Ratna - Trinity Arts Festival, Chennai to name a few.

Sreelatha serves as Founder-President of Prayathnam a dance forum for

Bharatanatyam artistes and teachers that has branches in Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Pondicherry. She is a guest lecturer for the MA program at Madras University and also fulfills guest examiner duties for Kalakshetra Foundation.

She has been featured in most of the major dance festivals in India and has toured USA, Canada, Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore. She has presented solo thematic endeavours such as Vande Mataram, Laya Bharatham, Purushottama Darshanam and Yagnaseni. Duets include Silappadikkaram, Baandhava Bharatham and Nritya Samparpanam and dance drama ventures include Poornachandrika, Shivoham, Anthara Sandhaya, Antharyaamin and Eesan Adi Potri.


Programme


Composer

Pushpanjali followed by Thirupalliezhuchi - Gambhiranattai Talamalika

Sami unnaye naan(Padavarnam) Kalyani Adi Maharaja Swati Tirunal

Mogudochi pilachedu(Padam) Sahana Misra Chapu Kshetrayya

Thaye Yashoda (Padam) Todi Adi Oothukkadu Venkatakavi

Thillana Behag Adi T.V. Gopalakrishnan

Names of accompanying artistesNattuvangam Venkatakrishnan MahalingamVocal Murali ParthasarathyMridangam Ramesh BabuViolin KalaiarasanFlute Sruthi Sagar


5th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Shweta has been training under Guru Priyadarsini Govind in Chennai for the past ten years. She has also completed the five year course at Kalavardhini Dance Institute under Guru Dr. Sucheta Chapekar.

Shweta has a Diploma in Dance Studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, UK. She completed a Diploma as well as Masters in Fine Arts in Bharatanatyam from Bharathidasan University and her Masters in Commerce from the Pune University.

She has an all-round understanding of the arts including training in Nattuvangam, Carnatic music and Tamil texts related to dance. Shweta is also trained in the martial art form of Kalaripayattu. She is a recipient

of many awards including the National Balashree honour by H.E. President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2004, Maharashtra Sanman and Singar Mani by the Sur Singar Samsad Mumbai to name a few.

She is an empanelled artiste by the ICCR and is also a graded artiste by the Mumbai Doordarshan. Shweta has performed extensively at various venues in the country such as the India International Center Delhi, NCPA Mumbai and The Kalidas Academy. She has also performed at the Nehru Center in London, UK, the SIFAS festival in 2014 and toured Sweden in 2013. She performs regularly as part of the Music and Dance season in December in Chennai.

Shweta Prachande


Programme


Composer

Kautuvam Shanmukhapriya Rupakam Madurai R. Muralidharan

Mohamana En meedil(Varnam) Bhairavi Rupakam Ponniah Pillai

Devarnama Ragamalika Rupakam Purandaradasa

Idai Vida (Padam) Saveri Rupakam Subbaramayyar

Thillana Kamas Adi Lalgudi Jayaraman

Accompanying artistsNattuvangam K.S. BalakrishnanVocal Arun GopinathMridangam Sakthivel MuruganandamViolin N Sigamani


5th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Navia NatarajanNavia Natarajan has initially trained under Guru Padmini Ramachandran of Bangalore. She is currently being mentored by Gurus A. Lakshmanaswamy and Bragha Bessel.

She has performed at various venues including The Music Academy, Chennai, ICCR New Delhi, Soorya Festival, Kerala, NCPA Mumbai, India Habitat, Delhi, Nehru Center London, Indian Fine arts Academy, San Diego, Sangam Arts, San Jose, to name a few.

She is the recipient of Yuva Kala Bharathi award from Bharath Kalachar Chennai, Kala Ratna Award from Cleveland, recipient of the Sanatan Nritya Puraskar from Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti New Delhi. She is an empanelled artist of ICCR and a recipient of scholarship from CCRT and Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. She is an A Top grade artist of Prasar Bharathi, and Doordarshan.

Programme

Song/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Shiva Spanda Ragamalika AdiVerses taken from Rudram Chamakam, Shiva Thandava Stotram and Nirvana Shatkam

Mohamana yen meedil (Varnam) Bhairavi Rupakam Ponnaiya Pillai

Elavaccitive Sami(Padam) Navroj Misra Chapu Kshetrayya

Thillana Desh Adi Lalgudi.G.Jayaraman

Accompanying ArtistesVocal G. SrikanthNattuvangam Venkatakrishnan MahalingamMridangam VedakrishnaramFlute Mahesh SwamyViolin Easwar Ramakrishnan


5th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Sathyanarayana RajuSathyanarayana Raju had his training in Bharatanatyam from Guru Narmada of Shakuntala Nrityalaya in Bangalore. His other teachers include Guru Subhadra Prabhu and Guru B.Bhanumathi. He also trained in Kathak under Guru Maya Rao and Guru Chitra Venugopal at the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography. Among his noteworthy performances are

Kshetram with Lata Pada, Bhadrachala Ramadas Charitram, Thyagaraja Vaibhavam, Deeksha (based on compositions of Muthuswami Dikshithar), and Rama Katha.

He has received several awards such as Kala Arthi Rathna, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., Purvankara Sangeethya Asthana Puraskara 2006, Naatya Kalaa Koushali Sanathana Kalakshethra and is the first recipient of The Best Male Dancer Award in the name of ‘Ram Gopal’. He was recently awarded the title Narthaka Nipuna by ABHAI.

Sathyanarayana Raju has visited U.K., U.S.A., Canada, China, Switzerland, Russia, Nepal, France and Maldives on concert tours.

Programme


Composer

Pushpanjali Ragavarni Adi Music: Tirumalai Srinivas

Sami Ninne Kori(Varnam) Ashtaragamalika Roopakam

Tanjore QuartetChoreography: Guru Narmada

Pitru Vakya Paripalanam(Abhinaya) Ragamalika Adi D.S.Srivathsa

Padam Khamas Adi Purandaradasa

Thillana Brindavani Adi M.Balamurali Krishna

Accompanying artistesVocal DS SrivathsaNattuvangam Shakuntala Prabhath Mridangam LingarajuFlute Vidvan Mahesh Swamy

Other creditsCompering Usha RKLighting Naveen MG.


5th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Nrityagram

Nrityagram, the dance village was founded by Protima Gauri on the outskirts of Bangalore in the year1990. It is a creative space where dancers, musicians and choreographers live together, sharing their skills and developing their art. The dancers study yoga, meditation, the martial arts as well as Sanskrit, mythology and literature. Nrityagram’s proudest achievement is its annual spring festival, Vasantahabba, an all night performance of music and dance, the roster of which includes some of the greatest names in India, attended by over forty thousand enthusiastic spectators streaming in from surrounding villages - and beyond. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is regarded worldwide as one of the foremost dance companies of India.

SURUPA SEN (Artistic Director, choreographer, soloist) was the first student at Nrityagram, where she began her Odissi training with the late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She also studied with Protima Gauri, founder of Nrityagram, and Abhinaya with Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan. As a child she studied Bharatanatyam. Surupa has performed in solo recital and ensemble all over India, North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Far-East. She has choreographed SRI, In Search of the Goddess, Ansh, Sacred Space and Pratima: Reflection. Surupa’s newest Ensemble work, Sam hära (2012) was Nrityagram’s first international collaboration. She received the Raza Foundation Award for Excellence


in Dance in 2007 and the Yagnaraman Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai in 2008.

BIJAYINI SATPATHY (Director of Odissi gurukul, soloist) joined the Orissa Dance Academy in Bhubaneshwar at the age of seven, where she trained for thirteen years and joined Nrityagram in 1993 where she came under the guidance of Protima Gauri,

and has collaborated with Surupa Sen in their productions. Bijayini has performed alone, and with the ensemble, all over the world and has received national and international recognition including the Mahari Award given to the best Odissi dancer of the year, the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Yagnaraman Award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.

ProgrammeSong / Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Sankeertanam Raga Malika Ektaal Pt. RaghunathPanugrahi

Panchtaal Pallavi(Abstract Dance) Bageshri Taal Malika

Pt. JasrajGuru KelucharanMohapatra

Muroli Pani(Oriya Poem) Kedar Gauda Jhoola Pt. Raghunath Panugrahi

Ashtapadi Pt. RaghunathPanugrahi

Sridevi Raga Malika Taal Malika Pt. RaghunathPanugrahi

Accompanying artistesVocal Jatin SahuMardala Rohan DahaleViolin Sanjib KundaFlute Manu Raj


6th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Lakshmi Parthasarathy AthreyaLakshmi Parthasarathy Athreya is disciple of Chitra Visweswaran. She has danced solo as well as has collaborated with other dancers of repute. She is empanelled with the ICCR and has received several awards such as the Yuva Kala Bharati from Bharat Kalachar, Natya Kala Ratna from Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Mumbai. More recently she has received the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

She has toured widely on concert tours to France, Australia, Sri Lanka and the USA.

She has constantly engaged herself in performance, choreography and thematic presentations.

ProgrammeSong /Genre Ragam Talam Composer

Anjali Gambheeranattai Adi Chitra Visweswaran

Nachiyar Kauthuvam Nattai Adi Traditional

Anjaneya Raghurama duta Saveri Adi Swati Tirunal

Padam

Thillana Niroshta Adi T. N. Seshagopalan

Accompanying artistsChoreography Guru Chitra VisweswaranNattuvangam Sukanya RavindarVocal Murali Parthasarathy Mridangam Venkatasubramanian Flute ThiagarajanViolin Srilakshmi Venkataramani Lights Sruthi Systems


6th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Pavitra Bhat

Pavitra Bhat is a disciple of the renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Guru Deepak Mazumdar. He took his initial training from Kumari Vasantha and trained under Anita Guha for Nritya Natakams.

Pavitra is a performer, teacher, choreographer and a nattuvanar who has established himself in Mumbai.

Pavitra Bhat is a recipient of many awards such as A.T.Govindarajan Pillai Award for the Best Bharatanatyam Dancer from Mumbai University and the title of Singar Mani from Sur Singar Samsad.

Pavitra has toured Dubai, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and USA for performances.

Pavitra has performed at the major festivals in India including the Music Academy Madras, Dance Festival, Sangeet Natak Academi Nritya Pratibha – New Delhi, Hema Malini’s Jaya Smrithi Festival, Pandit Gopi Krishna Mahotsav, Narthaka Dance Festival, Swami Haridas Sammelan, Khajuraho Dance Festival, Natyarangam and many others.

He has conducted Bharatanatyam lecdems and workshops in India and the USA. Pavitra started his dance institute Pavitra Art Visual Institute - a Bharatanatyam Institute in Mumbai.


Programme


Composer

Melaprapti & Alaripu/ Verses from Madhurashtakam

Ragamalika Talamalika Kadirvel Pillai / Shankaracharya

Devadideva Nataraja(Varnam) Shanmukhapriya Adi Dandayuthapani

Pillai

Sawale Sundara Roopa (Abhang) Hindolam Adi Tukaram

Thillana Sumanesa Ranjani Adi

Music: Nagavalli NagarajSahityam: Shatavadhani Ganesh

Accompanying ArtistsNattuvangam Jitesh BangeraVocal K. HariprasadMridangam Ramshankar BabuViolin KalaiarasanFlute T. Sasidhar


6th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Mythili Prakash Mythili Prakash has received training in Bharatanatyam from her mother Viji Prakash. She has also studied with several legendary Gurus, including Mahalingam Pillai, Kalyanasundaram Pillai, C.V. Chandrasekhar, Bragha Bessell, and is currently under the tutelage of Malavika Sarukkai.

Mythili has performed as a soloist for some of the most respected arts institutions in India and has toured extensively in the U.K., Scotland, France, Germany, Singapore, Canada, Mexico and the United States. She has received many titles such as Nadanamaamani (Karthik Fine Arts), Yuva Kala Bharati (Bharat Kalachar), Sanskriti Nritya Puraskar (Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti), and MGR Best Dancer Award (The Madras Music Academy), to name a few. She is also a recipient of many fellowships in the United States, for her choreographic works.

Mythili holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from University of California, Berkeley. She is also trained

in Modern Dance, and is well versed in Carnatic vocal music and Nattuvangam. Her collaborations include Yashodhara with Gowri Ramnarayan, Svatantrya with Anoushka Shankar, and the multimedia dance and musical theatre work MARA conceptualised, scripted, and composed in collaboration with her brother Aditya Prakash.

Programme Song/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Nritta Lahari Nalinakanthi Adi Aditya PrakashInnum En manam(Varnam)

Charukesi Adi Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

Rusali Radha Yaman Adi RanganeshwarThillana Madhuvanti Adi Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam Jayashree RamanathanVocal Aditya PrakashMridangam K.P. Ramesh BabuViolin Easwar Ramakrishnan

Other CreditsLights Venkatesh Krishnan


6th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Narthaki Nataraj

Narthaki Nataraj learnt Bharatanatyam in the traditional gurukula style, under the guidance of Guru Kittappa Pillai, a direct descendant of the Tanjore Quartet. Having studied Bharatanatyam for fifteen years, Narthaki specialised in the Nayaki Bhava form. She has explored Tamil literature, both ancient and modern and has introduced rare works of poetry and folklore in the Bharatanatyam repertoire.

She has performed in the major dance festivals in India and abroad. She has toured USA, UK, Srilanka, Norway and other European countries extensively, giving performances and conducting workshops and lecture demonstrations.

Among the honours she has won are the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award,

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the Government of India Scholarship, the Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Senior Dancer Award (Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha). Nritya Choodamani (Sree Krishna Gana Sabha) and the Kala Seva Bharathi Award (Bharath Kalachar). She is a Senior Fellowship Awardee from Sangeet Natak Akademi (2014-2017).

Narthaki Nataraj and her colleague Sakthi Bhaskar, who also learnt Bharatanatyam from Guru Kittappa Pillai, have had to overcome social prejudices against the third gender in their career and have founded the Velliyambalam School of Dance to impart training to young dancers in the Tanjore style.


ProgrammeSong/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Ganesa StuthiGurustuti(Virutham)

Ninainthodi(Varnam)

Saptatala Ragamalika Ponnaiya (Tanjore Quartet)

Kaminimani Sakhi(Padam) Kurinji Misra Chapu Swathi Tirunal

Modijesevelara(Javali) Khamas Adi Dharmapuri Subbarayar

Thillana Bilahari Rupakam Tanjore Quartet

Accompanying artistesNattuvangam Neela SukanyaVocal Akshay PadmanabhanMridangam Nagai S.NarayananViolin Kalaiyarasan Flute Devaraj

Other CreditsProgramme and Orchestra Co ordination Shakthi Bhaskar


7th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Sumithra Subramaniam Sumithra Subramaniam, daughter and disciple of Jayanthi Subramaniam has undergone specialized training in abhinaya from the renowned Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan and in Nattuvangam from Bhagavathulu Seetharama Sarma.

Sumithra had her arangetram in 2004. Since then she has given solo performances under the auspices of several leading cultural organizations in Chennai like the Music Academy, Brahma Gana Sabha, Bharat Kalachar, Kartik Fine Arts, Natyarangam, Mylapore Fine Arts, Indian Fine Arts society and Tyagabrahma Gana Sabha. She has given lecture demonstrations for visiting professors, students and tourists from different countries.

She is a graded artiste of Doordarshan and has been featured in other television channels, as well. She has been featured in the DVD on ‘Bharatanatyam Adavus with Music’ produced by Kala Darsana. Sumithra has actively participated in the group productions of her mother and Guru Jayanthi Subramaniam. She has also taken part in the group productions of eminent gurus like Prof. CV. Chandrashekar, M.V. Narasimhachari, Savithri Jagannatha Rao, Radha Ramanathan and Anita Guha.

She is a graduate from the Fine Arts Department of Stella Maris College and a postgraduate in Yoga from the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, Chennai.

Programme


ComposerNandi Chol & Shiva Stuti (Invocatory) Vasantha Adi

Samiyai azhaitthu va di (Varnam) Kamas Adi Tanjore Quartet

Yahi Madhava (Ashtapadi) Sindhubairavi Adi JayadevaTaru Maru (Javali) Nattakurinji Adi Pattabhiramayya

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam Jayanthi SubramaniamVocal Radha BadriMridangam Nellai. D. Kannan

Violin R. KalaiarasanFlute T. SashidarMake up Sethumadhavan


7th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Kirti Ramgopal

Kirti Ramgopal is a disciple of Padmini Ramachandran, Director - Natapriya. She has also trained under Bragha Bessel. Kirti has also had the privilege of being mentored by Priyadarsini Govind, Manju Bhargavi and Guru A. Lakshman.

She has received several awards and titles including Natyakala Vipanchee award from Dr.Balamurali Krishna, Vipanchi, Upcoming artist – Karnataka’s best art and culture award from the ESSEL GROUP and ZEE Kannada, Sangitya award from the Sangitya Aasthana Bangalore, Singaramani title from the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, Talent Promotion Award from the Tamil Nadu Government’s Eyal Isai Nataka Manram, Yuva Prathibhe Award

from Dasara Mahotsava, Mysore, Nritya Shiromani Award from Utkal Sanskrutik Sangh at Cuttack Mahotsav, Orissa.

She has travelled widely and has performed in India and abroad. Having completed her MBA from the ICFAI Business School and having worked as a Recruitment Associate with IGate Global Solutions, Kirti now pursues a career entirely devoted to classical dance.

Kirti has conducted workshops for under-privileged children at Parikrama Schools in collaboration with United Arts Society, Bangalore and has also with Aashayein Foundation to introduce and train under-privileged children in Indian classical dance.


Programme

Song/Genre Ragam ThalamComposer / Music

Composer

Mallari Ghambeera Nattai Adi Balasubramanya Sharma

Shlokam

Allarippu Mishra Chapu

‘Vadane’ (Verses from Sri Krishna Karnamrutham) (Varnam)

Hindolam AdiBilvamangala SwamiMusic Composer: Jahnavi Jayaprakash

Idhai Vide(Padam) Saveri Roopakam Subbarama Iyer

Thillana Simhendra Madhyamam Adi Madurai Krishnan

Accompanying artistsNattuvangam Pulikeshi KasturiVocal Nandakumar UnnikrishnanMridangam Harsha SamagaViolin Dr.Natraj Murthy


7th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Rama Vaidyanathan

Rama Vaidyanathan has trained intensively in Bharatanatyam under Yamini Krishnamurthy and the renowned Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. She has performed at all prestigious Festivals and Theaters over the world. Some of the venues are Bozar, Brussels, Smithsonian, Washington, Tropen Theatre, Amsterdam, Minon, Tokyo and Espace Julien, Marseilles, France. She performed at Moscow and St.Petersburg in celebration of India’s friendship with Russia for sixty years.

Some of her noteworthy presentations have been Brahmajaladhara, Angikam Bhuvanam, Akhilam Madhuram, Mad and Divine, Dance Of Nature, Footsteps of

Time, Swashakthi and Mathura. Rama has choreographed and presented Jaya Jaya Gangay on the river Ganga, a production commissioned by the Department of Culture. She has presented papers, participated in seminars and has conducted workshops in India and abroad. She holds the post of the Director of Ganesa Natyalaya, New Delhi.

Rama is a recipient of numerous titles such as the Kalaimamani title from the Government of Tamil Nadu, Kala Shree title from the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Academy, Sanskriti (the Sanskriti Pratishthan of New Delhi), Balasaraswati Award (Sriragam Fine Arts), Natanamamani (Kartik Fine Arts) and the Indira Gandhi Award.


Programme


Composer

Manikya Veena (Shlokam) Karaharapriya Kalidasa

Sringara lahari (Keertanam) Neelambari Adi Lingaraj Urs

Sami Nee Ramanave(Varnam) Kamas Adi Tanjore Quartet

Radhika Kanha Ko(Thumri) Ragamalika Misra

ChapuLyrics: DevMusic: Rajat Prasanna

Tanom Tom Tatana(Thillana) Kalyani Adi M.Balamurali Krishna

Accompanying artistesNattuvangam Dr S VasudevanVocal K VenkateshwaranMridangam Sumod SridharViolin Viju AnandFlute Rajat Prasanna


7th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Vedantam Radhesyam

Vedantam Radhesyam hails from a traditional Kuchipudi family in Kuchipudi village. Maintaining the family tradition he took to dance at a young age and leant Kuchipudi dance and music from eminent Gurus like Vedantam Parvateesam, Vedantam Seetha Rama Sastry, Vempati Pedda Satyam, Vempati Chinna Satyam, P V G Krishna Sarma, Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma and others.

He has been performing and teaching Kuchipudi dance for more than three decades. He recently retired from service as Vice-principal-cum Senior Lecturer in Kuchipudi from Telugu University’s Siddhendra Yogi Kuchipudi Kalapeetham. He has travelled widely both in India and abroad and has performed in over 2000 dance programs.

Some of the key roles performed by him are Prahlada, Hiranya Kasipu in Bhaktaprahlada; Chitralekha in Ushaparinayam; Bhama, Sutradhari and Madhavi in Bhamakalapam; Kaveri and Archakaswamy in Vipranarayana; King Sunda in Tilottama; Gollabhama and

Sutradhari in Gollakalapam; Somayaji – Sutradhari in Sri Krishnavijayam; Parvathi, Sutradhari in Parvathi Kalyanam; Boudha Bikshuvu in Chandalika; Apasara and Sukracharya Pramadhudu in Ksheerasagaramathanam; Narada in Sri Krishna Parijatam; Agniyothanudu and Archkaswamy in Rukmini Kalyanam; Rishi, Sukha, Brahma Maharishi and Gollavadu in Srinivasakalyanam.

Vedantam Radhesyam has received several awards and honours including the Kala Neerajana by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Vishesha Puraskar from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hamsa and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He trains young artistes in Kuchipudi dance and music in his institution Vedantam Wari Melam in Kuchipudi village. Some of his students are Sangeetha Natak Academy awardees and Ustad Bismillah Khan awardees.

Bhamakalapam Synopsis Bhamakalapam is a dance drama based on the story of Satyabhama one of the wives


of Sri Krishna and her jealous nature. The performance begins with the traditional sprinkling of holy water, burning of incense, Ganesha stuti and Amba paraku. The characters are introduced along with songs explaining their role in the drama.

Kuchipudi, a dance form created by Sidhendra Yogi originated in the 17th century. After the sandhivachanam the sutradhar Madhavi sings ‘janulara Siddhayogeeswarakrita bhama kalapa satkriti bhava sphura raga laya rasochita saralin’.

This is followed by the pravesha daruvu for Satyabhama. Madhavi, and Satyabhama are in conversation. Madhavi asks Satyabhama to describe her loved one but Satyabhama is shy to mention her lover’s name and the daruvu ‘siggayenoyamma’ is rendered followed by ‘madana daruvu’ where Satyabhama as a virahotkanthita nayika expresses her deep desire towards lord Krishna and says she cannot bear manmatha’s force (maaruni saramula baairi korvagalenu) on her.

Madhavi continues the conversation with her and she reveals the ‘kalaham’ (quarrel) between them and then in course of time realises her folly. She goes in search of Krishna in the surrounding forests along with Madhavi. She offers money and ornaments to Madhavi to search for Krishna and gives her the ‘mukku mungara’. Satyabhama expresses her desire to meet Krishna and sends her apologies in the ‘lekha by Satybahama to Krishna’ singing ‘srimadratnakarapurika’ followed by the sakunaalu daruvu.

Sri Krishna enters the stage to the pravesha daruvu ‘rajeevakshudu’ Madhavi finds Krishna at Dwaraka and offers prayer

to lord Krishna by singing the padyam ‘dandamaya viswambhara… Satyabhama’s letter is handed over. Krishna tries to appease Satyabhama singing ‘kopamelane komali napai…’ Satyabhama is seen as the kalahaantarita nayika and quarrels with him. This is followed by two samvada daruvus between Satyabhama and Krishna ‘bhamana satyabhama’ and karpuragandhito. Madhavi interrupts and speaks of the greatness of lord Krishna and his tatva, Satyabhama realizes her mistake and praises lord Krishna singing ‘bangaru poovula pooja setuu…’ thus ending Bhamakalapam.

The entire kalapam has been choreographed by Sri Vedantam Radhesyam in the pure Kuchipudi tradition.

Character DancerSatyabhama Vedantam Radhesyam Sutrdhara & V.Satya Narasimha Sastry NattuvangamSri Krishna V.Siddhendra Varaprasad

Accompanying artistesVocal (female) V.Durga Bhavani Violin P.Dakshinaamurthy Mridangam V.Ramakrishna Flute S.Kumar Babu Special effects Meher Baba Nartakudu V.Peda Satyam Nartakimani Udaya Sri Nartakimani Durgesh Nandini Nartakimani Rajeshwari Nartakimani Ramya Sahiti Nartakimani Saila Sri

Other creditsMake up Somasekhar


8th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Vishal KrishnaVishal Krishna started his training under his grandmother Sitara Devi, also learnt from Pandit Mohan Krishna and Pandit Ravi Shankar Mishra. He belongs to the eleventh generation of dancers from the illustrious Benares Gharana founded by Maestro Acharya Sukhdev Maharaj. This gharana has compositions based on mythology giving it a spiritual essence.

Apart from being a dancer, he teaches students and choreographs pieces for audiences in India and abroad. He is the recipient of several awards notable among them is the Pandit Birju Maharaj Sangeet Samriddhi Samman. He has performed at several prestigious venues - Khajuraho festival, Maihar festival

(M.P.) ITC SRA (Kolkatta), Vasant Utsav (Delhi), Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan (Mumbai) and Nalanda Mahotsav (Bihar).

Programme


Composer

Shankar Mahadev Shankara Ektaal Traditional

Barase Badariya Sawan Miya Malhar Addha Taal Meerabai

Thumak Chalat Ramchandra Bihag Dadra Tulsidas

Accompanying artistsVocal Shakti MishraSitar Anand MishraTabla Kushal Krishna


8th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Amrita Lahiri

Amrita Lahiri is a Kuchipudi dancer who has trained under Anuradha Nehru. While she continued to perform Kuchipudi, she also started learning Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson. Amrita toured extensively with Leela Samson’s group Spanda, performing with her guru. While in New Delhi, Amrita studied under Swapnasundari and Seetha Nagajothy. In Chennai, she studied under Jaikishore Mosalikanti. Amrita has innovated with choreographies of her own. Her recent choreographies are ‘Chitra’ (2012) based on Rabindranath

Tagore’s Chitrangada, and a piece called ‘Sharanam’, on the theme of Shiva.

In addition to being a performer and choreographer, Amrita has over ten years of experience in arts management. Most recently she was the Head of Dance Programming at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai.

She is empanelled as an artist with the ICCR and has toured as a soloist in India and abroad presenting Kuchipudi from its traditional origins to its contemporary forms.


Programme


Composer

Natesha Kautuam (Tatavana munijana sakala suraasura)

Hamsadhwani Adi Choreography Vempati Chinna Satyam

Usha Parinayam (Vedaley banuni varasuta)

Ragamalika (Shankarabharanam, Anandabhairavi, Kharaharapriya, Kapi)

Adi Choreography Swapnasundari

Sakhi Prana(Javali) Senchuruti Adi Dharmapuri Subbarayar

Choreography Leela Samson

Jaya Jaya Durge(Durga Tarangam)

Ragamalika (Simhendramadhyamam Bilahari, Hamsanadam, Punnagavarali)

Adi Jaikishore Mosalikanti

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam Jaikishore MosalikantiVocal Srikanth GopalakrishnanMridangam BP HaribabuViolin Easwar RamakrishnanFlute B. Muthukumar


8th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Alarmel ValliAlarmel Valli was trained in Bharatanatyam under Guru Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Guru Subbaraya Pillai and has been performing for more than four decades. She has also learnt Odissi from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and his disciple Ramani Ranjan Jena. She has learnt padams and javalis under T.Muktha, the granddaughter of Veena Dhanammal.

She founded her dance school Dipashika in the year 1984 and has trained a number of students. She has conducted workshops, participated in seminars and conferences and presented lecture demonstrations to spread an awareness of the art. A few of the forums in which she has worked include SPIC MACAY in India, the Societe Italiana del Flauto Dolce, The Philharmonic Society in Rome, the International Sommertanzwochen in Vienna and Universities across the US.

She has worked with poets and musicians to create both solo and group compositions for dance. A significant contribution has been her study of ancient Sangam poetry in Tamil and the presentation of poems from Kalithogai, Kurunthogai, Ahananuru, Purananuru, Natrinai, Paripadal, etc., choreographed as a fusion of lyric, music and movement.

Amongst numerous awards received by her are the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan conferred by the President of India, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Chevalier of Arts and Lettres award from the Government of France.

In 2004, The Films Division of India commissioned a film on Alarmel Valli for the Indian National Archives - ‘Pravahi’, directed by Arun Khopkar. The BBC also made a film on her for the Omnibus series. In 2012 Lasya Kavya, a film on her by Sankalp Meshram, won the National Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Art and Culture.

Alarmel Valli has danced at leading festivals in India and cultural venues abroad, including the Bolshoi Theatre, the Avignon Festival in France, the Edinburgh Festival, the Royal Albert Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the New York International Festival of Arts and The Kennedy Centre in the US, the Venice Biennale, etc.


Programme


Composer

Invocation – Shakti Stuti Ragamalikai Talamalikai Music Composition: S Rajeswari

Samikku Samanam (Varnam)Adapted from Telugu by Alarmel Valli

Shankarabaranam Adi

Pushpa Vilapam Ragamalikai Talamalikai Music Composition: Rajkumar Bharathi

Thillana Vaasanthi Misra Chapu Lalgudi G Jayaraman

Accompanying artistesVocal Vasudha Ravi Nattuvangam Mr C K Vasudevan Mridangam Sakthivel Muruganantham Violin K P Nandini Flute J B Sruthisagar

Other CreditsLights Murugan


8th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

Arushi Mudgal presents

‘Murta-Amurta’ – A Journey from form to formless

Arushi Mudgal has trained under her aunt and Guru Madhavi Mudgal at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi. She has also sought guidance from dancers like Gurus Kelucharan Mohapatra and Leela Samson, which has further enriched her approach to the arts.

Arushi tours extensively as a soloist and has performed in France, USA, UK, Europe, Malaysia and Singapore. Arushi was invited by the famous dancer-choreographer Pina Bausch of Wuppertal Tanztheater to perform at the Internationales Tanz Festival in Dusseldorf, Germany. Her recent collaborative projects include Havel, a production with musicians of Indian and Western genres, an opera called Orfeo - Crossing the Ganges, Swadesh with Mythili Prakash and Monisa Nayak, presented in the UK, and Sama, a contemporary work with Roland Auzet, a French percussionist.

Arushi has co-authored a book on aesthetics of Odissi with the senior scholar and aesthetician Professor S.K. Saxena. An ‘A’ grade artiste of Doordarshan, she is empanelled with the I.C.C.R. She has conducted dance workshops in various cities around the world.

She has been conferred many awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi’s prestigious national award - Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, the Young Women Achievers’ Award by YFLO - FICCI, the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, the Chitra Kala Sangam Samman, the Sanatan Nritya Puraskar, the Indian President’s Bal Shree Award and the Original Mind Award.


ProgrammeSong/Genre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Murta-Amurta Ragamalika TalamalikaChoreography: Arushi MudgalMusic Composition: Pt Madhup Mudgal

Rase Harimiha - (Ashtapadi) Kafi Ektali

Choreography: Arushi MudgalMusic Composition: Pt Madhup Mudgal

Shiva Tandava Stotram Shree Ektali

Choreography: Guru Kelucharan MohapatraMusic Composition: Pt Mukul Shivputra

Oriya Song – Kharap Tu Helu Re

Traditional tune of Orissa Triputa

Choreography:Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra

Bhairavi Pallavi

Bhairavi Ektali

Choreography: Madhavi MudgalMusic Composition: Pt Madhup Mudgal

Accompanying ArtistesVocal Sawani Mudgal & Khushal SharmaMardal Kharak Singh Padhant & Manjira Shambhunath BhattacharyaFlute RavinderSitar Yar Mohammad

Other creditsLights Murugan


9th January 2016 10.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m.

Apoorva JayaramanApoorva Jayaraman trained under Ratna Supriya Sridharan and Padmini Ravi in Bangalore. She has been training under Priyadarsini Govind since 2002. She has trained in abhinaya under Kalanidhi Narayanan. She has also trained in Odissi under Uday Kumar Shetty of Nrityagram.

She served as project coordinator at Kalakshetra Foundation from December 2013 to September 2015 looking at several aspects of performing arts management such as Outreach.

Apoorva has received several awards including Natya Ratna Award awarded by Trinity Arts Festival, Chennai, Nritya Ratna – Dancer of the Year (UK) 2013-14 – awarded by Milapfest supported by the Arts Council UK.

She has toured widely in UK and USA between 2009 and 2014 for her performances. She founded the Cambridge University Indian Classical Arts Society in 2010, which has grown rapidly in stature.

ProgrammeSong/Genre Ragam Talam Composer/ Music Composer

Alarippu Misram

Mathe (Daru Varnam) Khamas Adi Muthiah Bhagavatar

Yarukkagilum Bhayama(Padam) Begada Misra Chapu Unknown

Vagaladi(Javali) Behag Rupakam Tirupathi Narayanaswamy

Drupad Purvi Rupakam Tirugokarnam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam K.S.BalakrishnanVocal Arun GopinathMridangam Sakthivel Muruganandham

Violin N. Sigamani


9th January 2016 11.30 a.m. – 12.45 p.m.

Daya TomikoDaya Tomiko, born in Japan, had her initial training in The VasantaMala Indian Dance Institute, Kyoto and The Geetanjali Academy for Dances of India. She later studied in Kolkata, Chennai and Kerala with various teachers. In 1990, Daya became a disciple of Gurus Shanta and V.P. Dhananjayan and had her arangetram in 1991.

Daya Tomiko has also learnt other dance styles like Odissi, Manipuri and basics of Mohiniyattam. She has worked as a lecturer in Indian dance at Osaka foreign language University and has conducted workshops and demonstrations in Bharatanatyam at Universities and schools in Japan. In 1991 Daya founded Thanmaye-Natheyalaya, the Institute of Indian Classical Dance in Kyoto of which she is the Director. She has performed in various places in Japan, India and U.S.A.

Programme

Song/Gendre Ragam Talam Composer / Music Composer

Mallari(Jhonuta kitatatataam) Nattai Rupakam

Shanmuga Sabdam Raagamalaika Misra Chapu

Shakti Prabhaavam (Matha Parashakti) Ragamalika Adi Mahakavi Bharatiyar

Ashtapadi (Savirahe) Darbarikanada Adi Jayadeva

Accompanying artistesNattuvangam & Vocal Shanta Dhananjayan Vocal M.K.Rajesh Mridangam Shivaprasad Violin Rijesh Gopalakrishnan Flute Sunil Kumar Tanpura Lakshminarayan


9th January 2016 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Sheejith Krishna

Sheejith Krishna is a multi-faceted artist from Kalakshetra, trained in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic vocal music, mridangam, nattuvangam and stage craft. He had his early training under his parents Kannur Balakrishnan and Manorama Balakrishnan, who have established Noopuram, a school of Fine Arts in Kerala. He joined Kalakshetra and completed his post graduation in 1995. He has played leading roles in the dance dramas of Kalakshetra and has toured US, Europe and Asia as a dancer. He has performed widely as a solo dancer as well. He has been the Director, Sahrdaya Foundation from 2011.

Assisted by his wife Jyothishmathi, a musician, he has composed several solo items for the dance repertoire, such as jathisvarams, varnams, keerthanams and tillanas. He has choreographed several solo items which are part of the syllabus of Kalakshetra. His group productions are Marthyan, Swapna Rag and Alexander

Dumas’ novel The Man in the Iron Mask. He has also choreographed Parinaamam, jointly produced and presented by Kalaabhaskara, Reunion Island, and Bharata Kalanjali, Chennai and Pravaha: The Journey of Cloud, Rain, and River.. He has also performed lead roles and choreographed for the theatre group JustUs Repertory. In collaboration with musician O.S.Arun he has produced Bhajana Narthanamrutham depicting scenes from the Ramayana through Bhajans. His solo thematic productions include Poonthanam and Krishna in Mahabharatha.

Sheejith has received many awards including the Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharat Kalachar, the Obul Reddy Senior Dancer Award, Natyarangam, Narada Gana Sabha; Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Akademi; Yagnaraman Award for Excellence in Dance, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha; and Ram Gopal Award for Best Male Soloist.


Programme

Song/Genre Ragam TalamComposer/ Music

Composer

Kannada vachanafollowed by Meera Bhajan

Ragamalika Talamalika

Poet: BasavannaMusic Composer: Jyothishmathi SheejithMeera Bhajan Composed by Lakshmi Shankar

Saadrshyam(Kriti) Saptaragamalika Saptatalamalika Tanjore Quartet

Aaraar Aasaipadaar(Kriti)

Nadanamakriya Misra Chapu Muthutandavar

Thillana Desh Adi Lalgudi G Jayaraman

Accompanying ArtistesNattuvangam Adit NarayananVocal Binu V GopalMridangam KP Ramesh BabuViolin Easwar RamakrishnanVeena AnanthanarayananOther creditsLights Venkatesh Krishnan


9th January 2016 7.45 p.m. – 9.15 p.m.

PanchattvaPresented by

Leela Samson and SpandaPriti Patel and Anjika

Leela SamsonLeela Samson joined Kalakshetra in 1961 and left the institute in 1975 as one of its lead dancers. In 1975 she joined the Sriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Delhi where she started a department of Bharatanatyam. Over the next fifteen years she trained several students. In 1991 she left Kala Kendra and trained students privately in the Guru-Sishya tradition. She is a multi-dimensional personality as a performer, teacher, choreographer and writer and has made a mark in everyone of the fields.

Leela Samson was the Director of Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai from

2005 to 2012. She was also the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi from 2010 to 2014 and was the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification. She has authored books on dance such as Rhythm in Joy and a book for children published by the National Book Trust. She is a regular contributor for magazines and journals on dance. Her biography of Rukmini Devi Arundale is an in depth study of its protagonist and the institution she founded.

In 1995 she launched a group called Spanda and presents new works through the group in an attempt to rediscover and reinterpret traditional vocabulary and establish a


relationship between dance, music and statecraft.

Leela has travelled extensively and has performed at leading festivals of dance. She has visited Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ghana, Algeria, French Antilles, Mexico, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, U.S.A., and U.K. on concert tours.

Two significant documentary films have been made on Leela Samson-Sanchari by Arun Khopkar and The Flowering Tree by Ein Lall. Leela is the recipient of the Sanskriti Award, the Padma Shri, Nritya Choodamani and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Priti PatelPriti Patel was initiated into the world of dance at an early age by eminent Manipuri dance gurus, Late Guru Bipin Singh and the Jhaveri Sisters. Through the rigorous training she underwent under her Gurus, specially Darshana Jhaveri she excelled in this form of dance, especially in the Vaishnavite Ras Leela form of the Manipuri dance tradition. Subsequently she further studied this unique dance tradition. She took lessons in the pre-Vaishnavite dance forms of ‘Thang-ta’ (the martial art form of the Manipuri dance tradition), and ‘Lai Haraoba’ (a ritualistic dance form of the Manipuri tradition). She was imparted extensive training by her guru Padmashri Lt. Ojha Babu Singh and Ojha Thoranisabi Devi in the ‘Sankirtana’ and ‘Ras Leela’ traditions, by eminent scholar Padma Shri Pandit Lt. N. Khelchandra Singh in the

“Thang-ta” tradition and by Padma Shri Lt. Maharajkumari Binodini Devi, an eminent Manipuri scholar, who over the years, gave her information on the origin, history, importance and the very ethos of Manipuri dance, culture and society.

Priti Patel with her artistes from her school of Manipuri Dance, Anjika, has performed in several prestigious dance festivals all over the world. She has received innumerable awards, the most prestigious being the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2011.

Programme“O earth, my mother, O wind, my father, O fire, my friend, O water, my good relative, O space, my brother, for the last time I salute you and I fold my palms to you. But virtue of my association with you I accumulated merits from the abundance of which arose in me the pure knowledge, dispeller of all delusions. Now I merge in the Supreme Brahman”. (Bhartrhari)

Among the entities that are numerous and multifarious in nature, five are qualified as mahat ‘great’: earth, wind, space, water and fire. Akasa is not counted with the four bhutas, being incorporeal and having no specific sensible quality. Its function is only to give a location to other beings.

Fire is triangular and red, air is circular and black, earth is quadrangular and yellow, water is clear like moon and white in colour. The elements are earth, water, fire, wind, space.

Agni is not only fire on earth; he is also the celestial fire, which is the sun. The Rg Veda


says ‘Agni has appeared, knower of the way, ritual leader with his beautiful chariot. Agni shines with splendid radiation, the sun shines high, shines in the sky.’

Fire and Water, agni and soma, or tejas and ap are the most representative pair of complementary principles in the universe and in the human psyche. It is the integration of these apparently contradictory elements which leads to the unification or yoga and fulfilment of all dualities.

An entire sacred geography with its connected rituals and pilgrimages is based on water, and has inspired the imagination of poets, saints and artists for centuries. Every important cultural and religious centre is situated on the banks of a river or of the sea, combining practical utility with symbolic significance.

The origins of the Earth come first. When she was as yet hidden in a fluid state in the bosom of the primeval waters, the seers were already seeking to discern her by means of sacrifice. She is a cosmic giant, a cosmic power, the receiver of prayers and the bestower of blessings, the protector and the inscrutable judge.

The Wind collects, enraptures, and takes away in his chariot toward the celestial heights those who are caught in his blowing, bringing all together in celebration. The same wind is connected with the primordial waters, is called the first born, and yet is said to be of unknown origin; for nobody knows where it goes and where it comes from; it wanders free, is heard but not seen, is invisible, can only be felt, experienced, sensed, without being comprehended or

understood. The Wind holds the gift of eternal life; it is the bestower of the life principle, the seed of life.

Void or akasa, makes it possible for all the forms of art to appear. It is the prerequisite of all creative activities, and the manifestation of name and form. The concept of the space hidden in the cavity of the heart as the seat of the Supreme Self has been represented as the cave and the cave temple. In various ways, the concept of akasa is connected with temple architecture and the compositional diagram of sacred images. All musical notes originate and are perceived in akasa, the sole source of sound. The highest aim of the arts is, however, not only to impart delight, but to raise one from bhutakasa – the gross element of space to chidakasa – the space of consciousness and the seat of bliss.

The planting of a sapling signifies the growth and the nurturing of a new life which without the five elements would not happen. It is planted in the earth, is given life by water, wind caresses it, is nurtured by the light and it grows to fullness in space.

The ragas and talas in both styles are traditional and various composers have created the compositions for this production. In the Manipuri style, the compositions have been taken from the traditions of Lai Haraoba and Raas Leela. In the Bharatanatyam style, the composers are: Bhaskarayanamaha (Rajkumar Bharati), Gange Maam Pahi (Muthusvami Dikshitar) and the Aakash (Madhup Mudgal).


Accompanying artistesVocal Sawani MudgalPercussion Ganapathy SubramaniumSitar Kishore KumarFlute Sujith NaikMridangam Kiran PaiVocal W Suraj KumarPung K Ratan SinghVocal and Pena NG Durgeshwari DeviMoi Bung, Pena and Flute Ratan Singh

Anjika DancePriti Patel, Imocha Singh, Ratan Singh, Kanan Devi, Durgshwori Devi, Babita Chanu, Kiranbala Devi, Robert Meetei, Sushil Singh, Chingkhei Meetei, Nongshalan Singh, Sanjoy Singh, Sangit Singh, James Singh.

Spanda Dance CompanyLeela Samson, Aditi Jaitly, Bilva Raman, Ashwini Vishwanathan, Satyapriya Iyer, Christopher Gurusamy, B.Harikrishnan, Bhavajan Kumar.


Notes

10th dance festival

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