Drishti - A window into Indian classical dance

Drishti

“Drishti” - a BHAWA initiative launched to
constructively portray the richness and variety of
Indian classical dance exhibited in the region.

Kindly direct suggestions
and feedback to
bhawadubai@gmail.com

Disclaimer
The intention of this magazine is to showcase and
provide an unbiased view on various events in the
region, without hurting the sentiments or functioning
procedure of any person(s) or organization.

Bharatanatyam Artistes' Welfare Association - BHAWA, Dubai June 12

“When the head, heart and hands speak in unison, a dialect
steeped in grace, poise, inner faith and expression, alien to
the tongue, is born.

Transcending barriers of faith and colour, emerges this
music of the soul called “DANCE”. The artiste who pursues
this is a delicate blend of perfection and beauty.

At BHAWA – Bharatanatyam Artistes’ Welfare
Assocation, we regard ourselves as proud ambassadors of
this poetry in motion, and, DRISHTI is an effort to unite this
fraternity

Meera Srikanth
President - Bhawa


Thanks to our Reporters

Bhuvaneswari Rathnam

Chandra Subramanian

Meera Srikanth

Neetu Vivek

Rajee Murali

Rekha Ramachandran

Usha Krishnan

Vinitha Pratish


Index
Event Month Slide Direct link

KRISHNA CHRONICLES Sep-11 6 Goto Page

PIYA BAWARI Sep-11 7 Goto Page

KAAVYA BHARATHAM – BHAWA Nov-11 8 Goto Page

CHINMAYA 2011 Jan-12 9 Goto Page

ARANGETRAM - PADMAPRIYA PRAKASH Jan-12 10 Goto Page

NRITHYOPASANA ANNUAL DAY Feb-12 11 Goto Page

SHASTRIYA NATYAM - BHAWA Feb-12 12 Goto Page

PUNCH-A-TANTRA Feb-12 13 Goto Page

PARAMPARA Mar-12 14 Goto Page

ARANGETRAM – MEERA SRIKANTH Apr-12 15 Goto Page

NATYOPASANA ANNUAL DAY Apr-12 16 Goto Page

SHAKTHI - BHAWA May-12 17 Goto Page

ARANGETRAM – MEENAKSHI SRINIVAS May-12 18 Goto Page

SAPTHANJALI May-12 19 Goto Page

CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES Jun-12 20 Goto Page

NRITYA 2012 Jun-12 21 Goto Page

NARTHITHA 2012 Jun-12 22 Goto Page

KRISHNA CHRONICLES - Ms. Shobana

An evening that electrified and dazzled audiences, music that enchanted the souls, dancers who
were one better than the other, such was the start of the "Krishna Chronicles". The show was
staged on September 16, 2012 at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium.

I had high expectations when I first went in. Apart from the smoke machines which created the
right atmosphere, I was completely awed by the opening music. It was a foot tapping number
from Bollywood , the least expected at a Bharatanatyam show. The entry of Krishna was as
interesting as the music - all eyes glued to the Krishna episodes that began to roll. Krishna, the
Casanova, was so well portrayed that all dancers in the auditorium felt like gopikas around him.
Then entered the young Krishna, a face that had a charm to die for, the smile that is still vivid in
my mind and a posture that reminded me of the Krishna in my temple. For a second, I thought it
was him, but no it was "the HER", Ms. Shobana, the ace choreographer and the master, behind
the masterpiece production which touched so many Krishnabhakthas.

As a dancer, I was impressed with the modern twist to the formal dance keeping in mind all the
pre-requisites of a good choreography and costumes that complemented the scene and the
characters. The rapid costume change was something that was a learning for me. Not only was
the change in costume impressive but also the quick change in the characterization! Every
dancer was tight as a string in complete chord to the play.

The creator of this chronicles touched all episodes of Krishna's life in an interesting manner.
Though the dialogues were average, the actors on stage did a fabulous job. The "Radha"
character really touched my heart as she truly performed and enjoyed the character so well, that
I could only see Radha and not the person. Music was a bit of a commotion, but, the overall
execution was extraordinarily brilliant. No wonder Krishna Chronicles was appreciated wherever
it was performed.

Back to Index Rekha Ramachandran


PIYA BAWARI - Maayavi Dance Drama Concepts

Maayavi Dance Drama Concepts put up their first production ‘PIYA BAWARI’ on September 30
and October 1, 2012. Auditions were held two months in advance and the selected participants
were trained by a group of professionals headed by Smt. Bhakti Harish and Smt. Rekha
Ramachandran.

The story revolved around the two great devotees of Lord Krishna belonging to two different
eras. A very beautiful concept indeed! Meerabai, who was a Rajput princess perceived Krishna as
her husband, lover, Lord and master. She expressed her love for the Lord through her many
poems that she wrote in praise of Krishna. Radha , on the other hand was the daughter of a
cowherd leader, and born in a village in Vrindavan. She was very flamboyant in expressing her
love for the Lord . Both these characters were beautifully portrayed by Bhakti Harish as Meerabai
and Rekha Ramachandran as the flamboyant Radha. However, the character that stood out and
touched everyone’s heart was the adorable and mischievous Krishna, performed by a visiting
artiste from India.

The final transformation where Meera adopts the nature of Radha and vice-versa, in their love
for Krishna, was the central crux of the story.

A special mention needs to be made about the costumes which were very colorful and rich and
made each and every character look beautiful and attractive. Kudos to the entire team for a
great effort.

Back to Index Chandra Subramanian


KAAVYA BHARATHAM - B H A W A

The dance ballet “Kaaviya Bharatham” was conceptualized by Smt. Meera Srikanth, and staged by the
BHAWA team for a mega event of Tamil Ladies Association, Dubai on the 11th of November 2011, at
the Dubai Women’s College Auditorium, Dubai. The theme of the evening was "ANDRUM – INDRUM"
and in accordance with the same, the story was conceptualized.

As a pioneer attempt, BHAWA fused poetry (kaaviyam) and song, to suit the times of today and yester-
years respectively. Thus evolved the name "KAVYA BHARATHAM or POETRY in DANCE"

The lead artistes were Smt. Bhuvaneswari Rathnam, Mrs. Padmapriya Prakash, Mrs. Rajee Murali,
Mrs. Rekha Ramachandran, Mrs. Vimmi Easwar and Mrs. Meera Srikanth.

The story takes us through the life of a danseuse of today, who transforms from a young, timid lass to a
strong mother. In this journey she perceives herself at different points as SATI, SAVITRI and KANNAGI.
The protagonist is a dainty danseuse, who sacrifices her passion for dance, in order to serve as an
obedient wife. She moulds herself into a strong personality portraying a pillar of support for her
husband in times of need. Later on in the presentation, she dons the role of a mother, who chooses to
rebel for the sake of her daughter’s dancing career. The characters of Sati, Savithri, Kannagi and the
are brought to mind at different points through the presentation.

The lyrics were composed by Smt. Bhuvaneswari Rathnam and Smt. Meera Srikanth and set to a live
orchestra. The dance ballet was befittingly dedicated to the husbands for their unstinting support.

Back to Index Usha Krishnan


CHINMAYA 2011 - Smt. Bhuvaneswari N Rathnam

“Vishwaroopa Sandarshana Yoga”, as a part of Chinmaya 2011, was a thematic programme
held in Sheikh Rashid Auditorium on January 6, 2011, presented by the children of Bal Vihar.

This Viswaroopa Sandarshana yoga was conceptualized by Smt. Kavitha Raman. This excellent
concept was choreographed by Smt. Bhuvaneswari N Ratnam with musical support from Smt.
Sharadha Hari and Sri. Neelshankar Narayanan.

The divine vision of Bhagawan’s Viswaroopa to Arjuna in the battle field of Kurukshetra was
depicted with brilliant and unique choreography. The children were applauded for their
excellent synchronization. The wholesomeness of the "Viswaroopa" could be felt everywhere.
This was the highlight of the show. The depiction of "Viswaroopam" was done entirely with
different hand gestures.

The Bhagawan’s immeasurable forms with many arms and many weapons were portrayed
excellently on stage. The glorious vision of Rudhra, Brahma, Adhithya and the sages was
conveyed clearly in the item.

The final scene when Arjuna sees the Bhagawan as the destroyer, he watches with fear; as
Bheeshma, Dhrona, Duryodhana, Karna and all great kings and soldiers enter the Lord’s
mouth . In a nutshell , Smt. Bhuvaneswari Ratnam brought the Vishwaropam in front of
everyone through her excellent choreography.

Back to Index Rajee Murali


BHARATANATYAM ARANGETRAM
– Disciples of Smt. Padmapriya Prakash

January 27, 2012 , Millennium School Auditorium witnessed the grand Bharatanatyam
Arangetram of six students of eminent dancer, teacher and choreographer Smt. Padmapriya
Prakash. The performing artistes were Ms. Rakshana, Ms. Diana, Ms. Debra, Ms. Niveda , Ms.
Ashitha and Master Abishek. It was an evening of colour and vibrance.

The show started with the traditional NrithaVandanam which was a beautiful opening piece with
all dancers showing command over thaalam. The main piece the VARNAM in Kamas and Adi
thaalam, was rendered with involvement. The piece Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai was a pick , as
the dancer Ashitha, showed good maturity in expression and disposition. The Thillana in
Amrithavarshini was short and crisp with agile footwork and good formations. Smt. Padmapriya
who has been always known for her choreography skills, added one more feather to her cap by
successfully staging these upcoming artistes.

The evening was enriched further by the scintillating performances of Smt. Padmapriya Prakash
on Nattuvangam, Smt. Meenakshy Srinivas on the vocals, accompanied by Sri. Kannur Sreeni on
Mridangam, Sri. Joshy Abraham on Violin and Sri. Priyesh Kanganad on Flute.

In a nutshell, a well planned and well executed arangetram.

Back to Index Meera Srikanth

NRITHYOPASANA - Annual Day - Smt. Annapoorna Murali

The students of Nrithopasana under the able guidance of their Guru. Smt. Annapoorna Murali
presented a very vibrant bharatnatyam dance performance at Westminster Auditorium on
February 3, 2012. This show was presented in conjunction with Indian Fine Arts.

The show was presented mainly by the junior group of students and hence energy was at its
peak. Every student displayed their best abilities. The vivacious blue and green costumes
attracted the eye of one and all. The central piece revolving around the life story of KRISHNA-
LEELA in Ragamalika - Aadi thaalam with its lovely sancharis was captivating and mesmerizing.
All characters played their part extremely well with the KALINGA NARTHANAM stealing the
entire number. The Deepa-Mangalam was unique in conceptualization and executed with
neatness. Congratulations to Smt. Annapoorna Murali for devising the story concept wonderfully
and to her able shishyas for portraying them vividly.

The choreography and dance was enhanced by the able support of the wonderful orchestra.
Heart warming music from Smt. Visalakshi Shankar accompanied by Sri. Krishna Rajan on the
mridangam and Sri. Shankar on the violin, was a treat to the ear.

Excellent ambience, lighting and sound made the atmosphere divine, thus enriching the
presentation of the dance. In all, the evening was a pleasant and enjoyable one taking one
through an authentic journey of Bharatanatyam.



SHASTRIYA NATYAM - BHAWA

On the 18th of February, 2012, for the very first time three different styles of classical dance
that is Bharatanatyam, Oddisi and Kuchipudi was brought together under one roof by
BHAWA . It was a unique event where in the same programme three highly eminent and
established artistes showcased their talent and enthralled the audience with their
abhinaya, excellent footwork and complex choreography.

. show started off with Bharatanatyam by Smt. Srividya who has a Ph.D in classical
The
dance as well as numerous awards to her credit. Srividya struck a chord with the audience
as she performed with her little son as the ever-so-adorable and mischievous Krishna. Her
captivating expressions as she enacted the episodes on Kaliya-mardanam and
Narasimhavataram left the audience asking for more.

The second programme for the evening was by Ms. Isha , who performed the Odissi style.
Ms. Isha has been the disciple of expert gurus like Guru Sri. Ratikant Mohaptra, Guru Sri
Anilkumar Lenka,and Guru Smt. Meera Das and has numerous performances to her credit.
She performed a piece on the Goddess and enthralled the audience with her grace, complex
footwork, body movements, mudras as well as facial expression. After watching the
performance many of the young aspirants looked inspired to learn this style of classical
dance.

The programme ended with the Kuchipudi style of classical dance by Smt. Dhanya Menon.
Dhanya performed the traditional Devadasi style of classical dance which is different from
the other dance forms as this concentrates more on drama and storytelling than the
technical aspects of dance. Dhanya with her imposing stage presence, impressive footwork
and captivating expressions deserved every bit of the enthusiastic applause that she
received at the end of the show.

In conclusion, it was a great show with each performance having its own mood and theme
and each performer excelling in her style.



PUNCH-A-TANTRA – Maayavi Dance Drama Concepts

Maayavi Dance Drama Concepts came up with their second production within a couple of
months after the first one. This was presented at two venues in February 2012. Auditions were
held in the prior three months where children were given an opportunity to bring to the fore any
special talent that they possessed, like music, dance, speech and drama.

The production was unique in its form and nature as it presented the oft-told tales of the
evergreen Panchatantra in a novel flavour. The show began with the story of “The Hare and the
Tortoise” which had a cool state-of-the-art Hare called “Romeo”, skateboarding his entry on
stage. The race between the HARE and the TORTOISE was particularly mesmerizing with the
background effects adding to the on stage performance. Similarly each one of the other primary
characters, be it, the LION or the SWAN made a sweeping impact on stage.

In totality, the show was a perfect edu-tainer (educational entertainer) for all the children, who
took back memorable messages for a lifetime.

Congratulations to Maayavi for a great concept and presentation.



PARAMPARA
– Smt. Shobana Bhalchadra & Smt. Lakshmi Viswanath

This unique programme was performed by “Guru & Shisya” and named PARAMPARA
This was organized by Smt. Lakshmi Viswanath, a well-known and eminent dance Guru. She had
invited her Guru “Smt. Shobana Bhalchandra” from India. This performance was showcased by
“Guru and Shishya.”

Smt. Shobana is recognized not only as a mature performer, but also as an experienced Guru
(Teacher) and an imaginative choreographer. One of the early disciples of the famous dance
duo, Dhanajayans, Smt. Shobana was trained in the popular Kalakshetra style.

Parampara was a specially choreographed colorful dance programme by Guru Smt. Shobana
Bhalchandra. This programme was held on Friday, 23rd March 2012 @ Indian Embassy, Abu
Dhabi.

Smt. Shobana and Smt. Lakshmi started off with the traditional “Varnam”.

The highlight of this show was “Keerthanam” from “Dhaga-Dhagaendruaaduvar – Bharathiyar
song”. Padam“Idaividaveruennasakshi”was performed by Smt. Shobana Bhalchandra. Padams
are abhinaya items, usually love lyrics and are rendered in a slower tempo. The choreography
showed the excellent emotions of the Naayikaa. This programme concluded with Thillana. This
Thillana performed was short and crisp by both of them. The “Panchanatai” incorporated with
the “Korvai” was brilliant.

PARAMPARA, celebrated the essence of dance and music with the innovation in choreography
and costume, bringing out the true essence of Bharathanatyam. At the end, this “Parampara”
gave a traditional feel to the audience.
Back to Index Bhuvaneswari Rathnam

BHARATANATYA ARANGETRAM
– Disciples of Smt. Meera Srikanth

The Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Aishwarya Narendar and Varsha Rajan, disciples of Smt.
Meera Srikanth ,was held on April 6th, 2012 at the Emirates Theatre .

Captivating abhinaya, scintillating footwork and fine choreography marked the arangetram of
these two young girls. Both Aishwarya and Varsha showed immense maturity and their
remarkably polished performance, won the audience over. All the items were well selected and
brought out the immense talent the girls possessed. The main piece of the evening, the imposing
Varnam, composed by Papanasam Sivam, in ragam Dhanyasi was very effectively performed. The
footwork was firm and precise and the complex choreography of the rhythmic passages was
executed with confidence and grace. The ‘NINDA STUTHI’ in ragam chakravaham by Subramanya
Bharati was another masterpiece. The padam, ‘BHO SHAMBHO’ was well performed by Varsha.

The orchestra comprising of Smt. Meera Srikanth on the Nattuvangam, Smt. Vishalakshi Shankar
on vocals, Sri. N. Rajendran on the Mridangam, Sri. T.K. Shankar on Violin and Sri. Sreekumar
Pillai on the flute was truly remarkable.

The performance was a testimony of Aishwarya’s and Varsha’s dedication and involvement and
the meticulous training imparted by their Guru, Smt. Meera Srikanth.



NATYOPASANA – Annual Day - Sri. Sasi Kotakkal

20th of April was a special day for a group of students who were undergoing training in
Classical dance under the guidance of Guru Sri Sasi Kottakal. The intense effort put in by the
Guru and his students for the past few months had prepared them for a special occasion. They
were geared up for the 6th Annual concert “Natyopasana” which was held at the Crescent
English High School, Dubai. Some of the participants in the group were already established
performers. Where as for other children it was an occasion that was equivalent to an
Arangetram.

On “The Day” all the participants were impeccably decked up and looked beautiful, specially
so after the makeup done by Sri Roy. Sri Kumar who inaugurated the function by lighting the
traditional lamp spoke about Sri Sasi’s presence and contribution in most of the dance
programs held in and around Dubai.

The first item was performed by the senior group lead by the Guru himself, giving a good start
to the whole evenings’ proceeding. The items that followed were performed by the little
children who charmingly presented themselves with a constant smile on their face that most
obviously came from the reinforcement by the guru to “Smile” when they danced. The
program continued with a Mohiniattam
Cholkattu, Todayam, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Pancharatnam, Shiva stuti and the cherry on the
icing came when the Tillana was performed in Gambhiranattai by Sri Sasi and his prime
disciple Kum. Renuka.

The performance came to a conclusion with every participant receiving a trophy. It was indeed
a NATYOPASANA-“sitting near to dance” experience, where you could see dance, hear dance
and feel dance from different angles; in different intensities, which is undoubtedly the
ultimate goal of dancing.
Back to Index Neetu Vivek


SHAKTI – BHAWA - Kum. Ramya Suresh

BHAWA presented on 5th of May 2012 ‘SHAKTI – THE DIVINE FEMININE POWER’ - a
Bharatanatyam Recital by visiting upcoming artist from Bangalore, Ms. Ramya Suresh.

Kum Ramya Suresh took over the audience from the beginning. She started with Nrithanjali and
Amba Sthuthi, which proved her excellence in the expression and the footwork.

Varnam is the traditional test of the performer's mastery of the dramatic elements through
coordination of facial expression, hand gestures and intricate footwork. Ramya took “ Mathe
Malayadwaja," the well-known Daru Varnam and depicted the beauty and power of Goddess
Parvati in the form of Meenakshi. In her sanchari she literally brought the battle between the
Goddess Durga and the Rakthabhija in front of the audience . The anger of the Goddess and the
relentless battle between the Asura and the Goddess was portrayed with skill and involvement.

Padams Arputha sirpiyadi and Naanoru vilayaatu Bommaiya were presented beautifully . “The
doll movement in the second padam was particularly captivating and made an impression on the
minds of the onlookers. She completed with thillana in Hindholam comprising of elegant postures
and impressive footwork. On the whole, Ramya presented the evening with grace and depth in
her dance and moved the audience to experience the divine feminine power. Special mention
needs to be made of her ARAMANDI which is the most basic yet most difficult posture in dance.
She maintained this posture with ease from the start to finish, which in itself, is a marvellous
achievement! Congratulations to her Guru for being particular about the basics and providing
such excellent training.

We are sure that our young children who are learning bhratanatyam would have been inspired
by her performance.



BHARATANATYA ARANGETRAM
– Disciple of Smt. Meenakshi Srinivas

Kum Pooja Balaji , disciple of Smt. Meenakshy Srinivas did her arangetram on 18th May in
Emirates Theatere Auditorium .

She gave a good start with the Gambeeranatai pushpanjali and Alarippu followed by the
Jathiswaram. The varnam is the most enthralling, challenging and complex item in a
bharatanatyam recital. Pooja showcased her talent in the varnam “Swami naan undhan Adimai”
(where the nayika professes her spiritual love for the Lord Shiva) with the excellent foot work
and the shringara bhakthi . In the padam “Thandavesha”, Pooja showed Lord Shiva’s Cosmic
form of the Universe . “Sri Chakra Raja” where she showed the Glory of Devi and “Aadi kondar”
padam again proved Pooja to be a good dancer .

Her smiling face with lovely eyes throughout showed her stamina and sincerity. The guru’s
dedication and devotion was completely adorabale.

We wish Pooja a great future in the field of this great art …



SAPTHANJALI – Smt. Vinita Pratish and Team

SAPTHANJALI - An event initiated, choreographed and devised by Smt. Vinita Pratish and her
group of SEVEN talented and professional artistes was a memorable event in the classical arena.
This was staged at Emirates Theatre, Emirates International School on May 25, 2012 and at
Indian Social Centre, Abu Dhabi on May 26, 2012. The dancers were Vinita Pratish, Ashwathy
Sherin, Anjali Panicker, Lavanya Girijan, Shruthi Subramaniam, Renuka Sajiv Kumar and Jatin
Subramaniam.
The invitation of Sapthanjali looked too inviting - words like “Kuravanji” had started sounding
ancient. An evening of local talent with nattuvangam was exciting to me as a performer. I went
with an intention of being there for a minimal time , however, as the curtains unveiled I saw
seven confident performers , or, should I say professionals, who welcomed the audience with
their invocatory item that got me glued to my seat.

That evening I witnessed what my Guruji used to tell me , about dance being a sadhana, a
tapasya and an aradhana. I fall short of adjectives, as every item they performed was done with
extreme perfection and absolute great geometry . Every dancer added her/his own grace and
style that they had learnt for years to a great effort , the result being that the audience found it
hard to keep their hands apart. The highlight of the evening was the “KUTRALA KURANVANJI”
which was choreographed with a lot of humour and grace. Vinita , as the KURANVANJI, ANJALI
as the NAAYIKA, JATIN as the KURAVAN, Shruthi as the KURAVAN’s friend, LAVNYA and
ASHWATHY as the friends of the NAAYIKA and RENUKA as the deceptive Kuravanji stole the
hearts of one and all. The chemistry and body language of the artistes was truly amazing.

The performance was ecstatic and the orchestra added flavor to this ecstacy . The voice of Sri.
Arun Gopinath was a treat to every art-lover. He encompassed expression with the raaga and he
was dancing in his music! Kudos to the great artiste, Sri. Arun Gopinath! Every instrument
seemed as if it was set to the dancers bells . Infact, I had reached a point where I was
contemplating whether I should close my eyes and listen to the scintillating music, or, need to
watch a spine lifting performance. The face enacted all mudras that were being performed on
the stage! My feet couldn't stop tapping to all the jatis. To do an entire traditional Margam , and
keep the audience waiting for more in itself , an achievement of the show. A truly, art rich
evening and an amazing performance.

Back to Index Rekha Ramachandran


CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES

Courtesy : KHALEEJ TIMES

A traditional performance highlighting “Unity in Diversity” and the cultural richness of India was
showcased on June 6, 2012 at Manarat Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.

The show was coordinated and visualized by famed teacher Smt. Ketaki Hazra as a
representation of the country for the Indian Embassy. The entire piece consisted of three
different types of classical dance. It began with a stunning Odissi performance on Lord Surya
followed by a traditional Bharatanatyam piece on Lord Ganesha . In succession was presented a
Kathak piece and the performance concluded with a patriotic number involving all the dancers.
The international audience was truly spell-bound by the variety and unity of the country.

All dancers were professionals in their own fields and each added colour and vigour to the
performance. The Odissi dancers were disciples of Smt. Ketaki Hazra, Bharatanatyam dancers
were Smt. Tripti Bhupen, Smt. Annapoorna Murali, Smt. Meera Srikanth and the Kathak number
was done by students of Gurukul, under the leadership of Smt. Pali Chandra. The finale involved
all the above artistes in combination with the disciples of Smt. Ketaki Hazra representing the
grandeur and unity of our nation.

In all, a great effort to bring together so many professionals and a wonderful artistic salute to
our motherland by all artistes involved.

Back to Index


NRITYA 2012 – Annual Day - Sri.Prem Menon

Nritya is a spectacular and colourful annual dance extravaganza of Guru Shri. Prem Menon, which was
conceived in the year 2000. to provide his disciples a stage to showcase their talents.

This year’s program was held on Friday, 22nd June 2012 at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, Indian High
School, Dubai premises.

The program started off with the official welcoming of the Chief Guests for the evening Shri. K. Kumar,
Convener, ICWC and Founder Member and President of SAATHI, and, Smt. Meera Srikanth an eminent
dancer, teacher and choreographer, and, President of BHAWA .

The recital started with Vandanam. The evening commenced with Nrithyanjali & Ardhanareeswara
Stuthi. This dance was performed by Guru Shri.Prem Menon and his senior disciples. Their dynamic
stage presence instantaneously created an affinity with the audience. The dance included the verses of
AdiShankara’s Ardhanari Ashtakam. Ardanareeswara, is an androgynous deity composed of lord Siva
and his consort Shakthi, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies which
symbolizes the constructive and generative power.

The highlight of the evening was Dasavatharam in which Sri. Prem Menon and his disciples described
the ten avatars of the Lord and showed how Vishnu incarnated from time to time to save mankind, to
re-establish dharma or righteousness and destroy tyranny and injustice on earth. A flurry of
movements and subtle expressions enhanced the performance of Dasavatharam.

The audience attention was captured by the amazingly choreographed lively mix of popular folk dance
and Bharatanatyam- KavadiChindu. Nritya 2012 culminated with a twist, Swaralaya, instead of
Thillana, where the artists performed Mohiniattam and Bharathanatyam in the form of a Jugalbandhi.
The children came in tandem for the Mangalam song and paid their gratitude and thanked the
audience for their appreciation.

Back to Index Bhuvaneswari Rathnam


NARTHITHA 2012 – Annual Day - Sri. Manoj Manikkoth

Shri Manoj master's annual programme - Narthitha 2012 saw yet another successful year.
Each programme of his are filled with surprises and this year was nothing less.

The show started with "Sabha Vandanam" where all the dancers gave their salutations to
the Almighty and the audience. A truly mesmerizing sight to the eyes as the first scene
showed all the students surrounding Lakshmi Devi sitting on a beautifully hand made lotus.
Majority of the items were in Bharatanatyam with just one item in Mohiniyattom and
Kuchipudi each. It was a pleasure to see a mixture of traditional and new compositions of
Shri Madurai R. Muralidharan.

The highlight of the show was the Varnam - Swami naan unthan adimai. Though a very
common number,it was choreographed and performed very interestingly with many
sancharis. The Guru himself performed this item with 3 students. A commendable
performance with utmost perfection. Another different yet impressive number was -
Nagendra Haraya, that described the Panchakshari Sthothram. It was a visual treat in all
aspects.

To make things easier to a layman, there were audio visuals and brief descriptions of each
dance prior to the performance. All credits go to Shri Manoj for moulding each student to a
high level of perfection rarely seen nowadays.

Back to Index Vinita Pratish


Drishti - A window into Indian classical dance

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