JOIN USNaman Dance Festival
Popular Odissi institute, Nritantar, conducted the annual Naman Dance Festival, on Sunday, which provided an oprportunity to witness different styles and schools of Odissi dance.
Niladry Mohanty opened the programme with a Pallavi set to Ek tal followed by Shivashtaka in the raga Bhairavi. US-based Kaustavi Sarkar presented “Varsha” (rag Miyan Ki Malhar) and “Ardhanareeshwara” in ragamalika, gracefully. The Malkauns pallavi by the Nritantar dance ensemble was proof of their good training by Guru Madhulita Mohapathra. Senior dancer Meera Das’s abhinaya impressed every one in the Astapadi “Sakhi He.”
In the “Moods of Rhythm” the Gunjan Dance Ensemble captivated with their pleasing movements and seamless symmetry in the dance. The “Naman - 2016” concluded with a dance-drama on “Ahalya.”
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Tributes to Pallavi Chandrappa
Chandrappa of Bengaluru was known as “Pallavi Chandrappa” as he was well-known as a Pallavi expert. His birth centenary was celebrated through the “Pallavi Sangeethotsava” in association with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Mysore A Chandankumar, who gave a impressive flute recital here, is a scion of T Chowdiah, the legendary violinist. Mathur Srinidhi, G S Ramanujam and G Omkar accompanied him on violin, mridanga and ghata, respectively.
The “Mahaganapathim” gave Chandan Kumar a steady start. One of the popular kruthi in the Aanndabhairavi raga is “Marivere” of Syama Sastry, in which he says with great feeling - “Oh mother! Katyayani, Amba, Sankari, Sukha Syamala! there is no one but you are the sanctuary for me in this earth to save me... your gait is like the swan and you shine as the essence of Vedas. Please grant my wishes and save me swiftly.”
Chandan Kumar’s command over the nuances like Gamakas and rhetorical effects was commendable. Tyagaraja’s Saranga keerthana was also evocative. Hindola was his choice for the ragalapana, thana and pallavi, which was marked for its masterly layakari, his “manodharma” in the swara prasthara easily rising the melodic report to a crescendo.
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Anniversary of Karana
Shubha Dhananjay is known as a senior Bharathanatya and Kathak dancer and an able teacher (Natyantharanga) too.
She has choreographed several dance dramas beautifully, including Kanmani Krishna, Radha Madhava, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, Mysuru Huli Tippu Sultan and Devi. She has performed on many prestigeous platforms of the USA, UK, UAE, Bahrain, Maldives, Nepal, Iraq, China, Cambodia and Malaysia. Naturally, she has received several awards and titles from many organisations. To impart training in different branches of fine arts, she founded “Karana.” And to commemorate the 10th anniversary, she gave a Bharathanatya recital on Thursday evening.
Shubha Dhananjayan presented selected compositions in the brief presentation. She opened with a Pushpanjali (raga Naata) customarily which was on familiar lines.
It was followed by a pada on Subramanya in the raga Bagesri, which was well choreographed by Udupi Lakshmi Narayan. Kannada devaranama on Lakshmi by Purandara Dasa, suited the occasion, as it was just previous day of the festival of Varamahalakshmi. She danced like the one possessed, bringing her characters alive, convincingly. She also performed “Sabha Pathiki,” with neat stances, precise laya and matured and impressive abhinaya and crisp jati, performed with ease and aplomb.
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