JOIN USColourful event
Sri Raja Rajeswari Kala Nikethan conducted the ‘Samanvay Art Festival - 2009’ in collaboration with the Academy of Music.
A variety of programmes regaled the audience, gathered in good number. Bharathanatya, Kuchipudi and Kathak - brought colour and glamour and entertained the connoisseurs.
Nine children of the Sri Raja Rajeswari Kala Nikethan opened the programme with Pushpanjali. Dikshitar's popular Krithi ‘Shakthi Sahitha Ganapathim’ was a good choice.
Young dancer Sangeetha Phaneesh pleased with her ‘Deeparathi’. The ‘Durga Devi’ - a familiar composition on the music concert stage, was also a welcome change from the routine compositions.
‘Kaalika Vijayam’ was performed by Dr Venkat (Ardhanareeswaram), Surya N Rao and Suhasiny K Setty, with few members of the Kuchipudi village, with colourful costume and dress, was eye filling.
With rigorous steps and brisk movement was pleasing and had its popular appeal too. Tyagaraja's well known Kruthi ‘Naada Thanumanisham’ was performed neatly by three familiar dancers of Bangalore - Dr Sanjay shantharam, Shama Sanjay andAnuradha Vikranth, performed with ease and evocatively.
The curtain came down on this years ‘Samanvay’ with a Kathak recital of Jayant Kastur, Senior dancer and secretary of the Sangeeth Natak Akademy, New Delhi.
The invocatory piece on Ganesha provided an excellent start, Kastuar’s taut movements making an immediate impact. It was followed by footwork - a variety of permutation and combination performing precisely and gracefully. The learned audience enjoyed the melodious movements.
Jayant Kastur's dance lent greater dignity and charm with instant aesthetic appeal to the festival.
Saama festival
The Sri Academy of Music and Arts conducted the "Saama Music Festival" last Sunday evening. Under the direction of Dr R Raghuram, the Academy conducted the competitions in music and allied Arts, in which music instruments were presented as prizes! First prize winner Pavani Kashinath chose a well known composition of Saint Tyagaraja for her veena recital. She played "Manasu Swadheena" neatly, without overdoing anything. Kashinath supported her on Mridanga. "Anna Purne" was the choice of Apoorva Krishna, the other Prize winner. She played it on her violin, with ease and assurance. Two young instrumentalists Sunad and Chidananda - accompanied her on Mridanga and Morching, respectively. A violin solo CD of Dr R Raghuram, was also released on the occasion.
Different theme
The Chithkala School of Dance presented a dance drama last week, with a different theme.
Though there are several Lady Haridasas, most of them are in dark!
People are not aware of their life history and their compositions are also not heard much! More so, in the dance repertoire!
Realising this, Chithkala has produced a dance drama, highlighting the life and works of Lady Haridasas of Karnataka.
In the current production Life of three devotees - Galagali Avva, Helavanakatte Giriyamma and Orebai Lakshmi Devi - were narrated in Bharathanatya. Praveen Kumar's direction for the concept of Roopasri, with the help of Dr H S Venkatesh Murthy and Dr Sukanya Prabhakar, the show attracted a large gathering. The dancers performed with gay abandon. Songs must reveal the life and works of Haridasas.
In this direction a better selection of devaranamas, will make it more impactful.
The music (Manasi Prasad) was complementary to the dance, and Sri Hari (mridanga), Narasimha Murthy (Flute), Chitralingam (Veena), and Vinod (Rhythm Pad) supported from the wings.