Expressing a strong passion

Aesthetic Movements

Jointly conducted by Kalasindhu Academy and Nrityanjali, the event also saw dancers Vani Ganapathy and Manju Bhargavi.

Yamini Krishnamurti, an exponent of kuchipudi and bharatanatyam who was conducting a dance master class in the City for 12 days, was felicitated on the occasion. A short documentary, which highlighted the achievements of the great artiste, was shown on the occasion.

Vani Ganapathy said she has been a big fan of Yamini since her childhood days. She called the artiste’s performance magical, majestic and aesthetic and appreciated her humility.

Manju Bhargavi described Yamini as a role model for all the kuchipudi artistes. She advised the participants to follow the legendary dancer throughout their lives.

After receiving the honour, Yamini said she was touched by the love and respect shown by Bangaloreans. “Bangalore is the only city where people respect and appreciate artistes. I have fond memories associated with the City and have presented many successful shows here. I enjoyed the company of children who are equally talented and dedicated,” she said.

She described dance as her passion and not profession and that she is trapped by the beauty of the art.

The highlight of the event was performances by students who were trained under Yamini for 12 days. Choreographed by Yamini, all the six pieces were a treat for the eyes. The dance recitals began with Kouthvam in Nata Raga set to Aadi Tala. Twelve kids dressed in bright coloured costumes performed to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha.

Up next was Jathiswaram in Ragamalika, wherein the participants showed their expertise through facial expressions. In their next performance, the students chose a Krithi — Gokula Nilayam composed by Mysore Vasudevacharya.

 The performance described the beauty of Lord Krishna which ended with Lord giving Githopadesha to Arjuna. Manikya Veena, a Kee­rthana composed by Kalidasa, was presented beautifully with wonderful footwork and expression. Next performance was Varnam in Raag Bhai­ravi, which was dedicated to Lord Shiva. The concluding performance was Tillana in Hindolam set to Aadi Tala. The group performance succeeded to bring forth the expertise and dedication of the artistes.

The dancers were accompanied by Yamini Krishnamurti on nattuvangam, Vandva Balakrishna on vocal, G Gurumurthy and Venkatakrishna on mridangam, Narasimhamurthy on flute and Shankar Raman on veena.