Shruthi Vidhyashankar’s varnam ‘Samiyai Vara Cholladi’ was impressive
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Shruthi Vidhyashankar’s varnam ‘Samiyai Vara Cholladi’ was impressive

The Hindu  

Right moves Shruthi Vidhyashankar’s recital peaked during the varnam Srividya Shruthi Vidhyashankar’s Bharatanatyam recital proved her mettle from the start. This was followed by the evening’s highlight — the varnam ‘Samiyai vara cholladi’, a composition by K.N. By way of elaborating lines such as ‘Bhumi pugazhum sivakami magizhum balan’, Shruthi made fleeting references to the story of the birth of Muruga and a few other instances from his life, while keeping the emotion of a lovelorn woman at its core. The next item was the padam ‘Adhuvum solluvaal aval’ in raga Saurashtra, composed by V. Subbarama Iyer.

Shruthi Varnam Shruthi Vidhyashankar Impressive R  vidhyashankars  vara  nayika  recital  woman  padam  varnam  cholladi  subramaniam  samiyai  shruthi  raga  impressive  r

History of this topic

The joy of dancing as a duo
1 week, 5 days ago

The joy of dancing as a duo

The Hindu  

There is always a joy in dancing as a duo, and this was evident in the Bharatanatyam recital of Nandhini Jeeva and Rangasri Raghunathan. The recital began with Pushpanjali, followed by Purandaradasar’s ‘Saranam siddi vinayaka’ in Nattai raga and Misra Chapu tala. The performance built up to the pivotal moment of Parvati’s encounter with Shiva, with Nandhini portraying Parvati and …

Reviving the desi Mohiniyattam repertoire
1 month ago

Reviving the desi Mohiniyattam repertoire

The Hindu  

Among the choreographers of Mohiniyattam, Nirmala Panicker of Natanakaisiki, Irinjalakuda, stands out for her contribution in reviving certain aspects of the desi repertoire of the dance form. For example, the forms of Polikali, Esal, Chandam and Kurathy were excluded when Mohiniyattam was revived in Kerala Kalamandalam in 1932, because of the degeneration of the dance form due to certain abominable …

Bharatanatyam dancer K.P. Rakesh unravels the beauty of Jayadeva’s ashtapadi
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bharatanatyam dancer K.P. Rakesh unravels the beauty of Jayadeva’s ashtapadi

The Hindu  

The ashtapadis of Jayadeva are preferred compositions for dancers across styles. From the delicacy and grace that marked his entry as Krishna in the bower to the melodic strains of the flute by Sujith Naik, Rakesh immersed himself into the character. The gentle manner in which Krishna beseeches Radha to place her feet on his body, caressing it and her …

Sathvika Ranganathan revels in the beauty of the Bharatantayam margam
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Sathvika Ranganathan revels in the beauty of the Bharatantayam margam

The Hindu  

The Bharathanatyam performance by Sathvika Ranganathan, disciple of Uma Sathyanarayanan, at Vani Mahal under the auspices of Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, was marked by alacrity and agility. ‘Thodudaiya seviyan’, the first Thevaram composed by Thirugnanasambandar when he was just three years old, which was also performed as part of the invocatory number, established the mood of the entire performance. …

Young Bharatanatyam artiste Manasa Sriram impresses with her sincere approach
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Young Bharatanatyam artiste Manasa Sriram impresses with her sincere approach

The Hindu  

Manasa Sriram, a disciple of Mahalakshmi Ashwin, began her recital at the Pongal Dance Festival 2025 with the invocatory hymn from the Thirumanthiram, ‘Ainthu karathanai’, in praise of Ganesha. She then moved to a Ganesha Alarippu set to Tisra Nadai Adi tala, showcasing the essence of Bharatanatyam’s rhythmic foundation. For the varnam, Manasa chose ‘Swamiyai azhaithu vadi’ by the Thanjavur …

Jaikishore Mosalikanti’s thematic presentation was marked by well-choreographed sequences
2 months ago

Jaikishore Mosalikanti’s thematic presentation was marked by well-choreographed sequences

The Hindu  

The time and effort rasikas devote to watch a performance become worth it when the performance lives up to their expectation. One experienced that aesthetic delight while watching the group presentation ‘Triyambaam’ by Jaikishore Mosalikanti and his Shivamohanam school of Kuchipudi. ‘Ya kundendu tushara hara davala’, a traditional obeisance to the goddess of knowledge was followed by the popular Muthuswami …

How senior dancer Neena prasad reinvented the Mohinyattam repertoire
2 months ago

How senior dancer Neena prasad reinvented the Mohinyattam repertoire

The Hindu  

Neena Prasad’s performance was comprehensive, giving a wholesome feel of the dance style. Unhurried music, graceful dips, unobtrusive rhythm and stylised abhinaya are Mohiniyattam’s hallmark. Rhythmic complexities are usually not a feature of Mohiniyattam, but Neena, The Music Academy’s Nritya Kalanidhi awardee for 2024, commenced with a fairly complex one — a khanda gati khanda jaathi matya tala Cholkettu, paying …

Jaikishore Mosalikanti presents a lively tapestry of music and movement
2 months ago

Jaikishore Mosalikanti presents a lively tapestry of music and movement

The Hindu  

The time and effort rasikas devote to watch a performance become worth it when the performance lives up to their expectation. It was one such experience of aesthetic delight that one got, while watching the group presentation ‘ Triyambaam ‘ by Jai Kishore Mosalikanti and his Shivamohanam school of Kuchipudi at The Music Academy’s dance festival. ‘’Ya kundendu tusharahara davala’, …

How Rama Vaidyanathan made an abhang the soul of her performance
2 months, 1 week ago

How Rama Vaidyanathan made an abhang the soul of her performance

The Hindu  

The Music Academy’s dance festival began with a performance by Rama Vaidyanathan, who chose compositions that gave a feel of the Bharatanatyam margam. A rare Ata tala varnam composed by Syama Sastri in Anandabhairavi was the central piece of the evening, for which the jathis were composed by mridangist Sumod Sreedharan. I am a courtesan and you are my paramour.” …

With a focus on Shiva
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

With a focus on Shiva

The Hindu  

Anwesha Das, a disciple of Urmila Satyanarayanan, presented a traditional margam for her performance for Kartik Fine Arts. The alarippu in Sankirna Chaapu featured elements representative of his iconic image — the Damaru, the Ganga flowing from his locks, the tiger skin and snake — through interesting poses and simple movements. Anwesha explored the ideas convincingly with familiar sancharis such …

Celebrating the land, its sounds and literature
4 months, 1 week ago

Celebrating the land, its sounds and literature

The Hindu  

A villupattu recital titled ‘Bhoomiye Saami’ was presented by Bharathi Thirumagan, daughter of villuppaattu exponent Subbu Arumugam, as part of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s ‘Vazhiya Vaiyagam’ series. Bharathi’s son Kalaimagan, a trained classical musician, presented his grandfather’s song — ‘Rama kaavyam, Janaki maayam’. Subbu Arumugam wrote a song ‘Vayale Vaazhgave’ in Nattai raga, using the mettu of the first, third and …

The timeless appeal of the traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire
8 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless appeal of the traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire

The Hindu  

“It is not just the past six months of rehearsals, but many years of rigorous training I received from my guru in my early years, which has given me the strength and stamina to present the margam today “ said Nithyakalyani Vaidyanathan at the start of her Poorna Margam for Natyarangam at Narada Gana Sabha mini hall. K. N. Dhandayuthapani …

Mime and movement blended seamlessly in Chaitra Rao’s performance
10 months, 1 week ago

Mime and movement blended seamlessly in Chaitra Rao’s performance

The Hindu  

It was a performance where melody and movement complemented each other to make up an evening high on aesthetics. From that moment, through the hour-long show, Chaitra Rao’s ability to communicate ideas and feelings with her abhinaya, which seamlessly intertwined with Rohith Bhat’s bhava-soaked singing, sustained audience interest. Chaitra began her performance for Natyarangam’s monthly series at Narada Gana Sabha’s …

Harinie Jeevitha’s ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ had all the artistic elements in the right proportion
11 months ago

Harinie Jeevitha’s ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ had all the artistic elements in the right proportion

The Hindu  

Gaana Nritya Academy, Mangaluru, presented the Chennai-based Bharatanatyam dancer Harinie Jeevitha’s performance ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ to a full house. This presentation included compositions such as ‘Varadaraja ninnu kori vachithi’, Dikshithar’s ‘Varadarajam upasmahe’ in Saranga and many Sanskrit shlokas, Telugu songs and Tamil pasurams. Harinie concluded her presentation with the charama shloka from the Bhagavad Gita, ‘Sarva dharmaan parityaja’ that ends with …

Uma Ramesh put together compositions on Shiva for her thematic performance
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Uma Ramesh put together compositions on Shiva for her thematic performance

The Hindu  

It was a thematic margam and the chosen deity for the evening was the lord of dance Shiva. Uma Ramesh, in her performance for Brahma Gana Sabha, chose to make this thematic presentation more meaningful by conceptualising a recital that moved from the physical to a philosophical state. Uma’s choreography of the physical structure of the temple in the Mallari …

Niveditha Sankaranarayanan opts for traditional compositions
1 year ago

Niveditha Sankaranarayanan opts for traditional compositions

The Hindu  

For someone who has been actively dancing from a young age, returning to perform after a hiatus would be a cherished moment. Niveditha Sankaranarayanan, a disciple of Srekala Bharath, performed a solo Bharatanatyam recital after a gap of two and a half years, under the auspices of Karthik Fine Arts at Narada Gana Sabha mini hall in Chennai. Niveditha comes …

Rama Vaidyanathan’s ‘Sringara Rasamanjari’ was a wholesome experience
1 year, 1 month ago

Rama Vaidyanathan’s ‘Sringara Rasamanjari’ was a wholesome experience

The Hindu  

It was one of those days when the twin streams — music and dance — intertwined beautifully. It happened at Rama Vaidyanathan’s performance at the Music Academy dance festival. ‘Sringara rasamanjari’ was the opening composition of the evening, and Rama’s interpretation symbolised the many hues of love. Depicting Rajagopala as Krishna the cowherd, the dancer portrayed the cows being herded …

Anubhav: Two dance forms create a unique experience
1 year, 11 months ago

Anubhav: Two dance forms create a unique experience

The Hindu  

‘Anubhav’ was an experience — of cultural exploration, of beauty in movement, and of the joy of dancing. Presented by Aalaap at Medai, Chennai, the taglines for the show read: ‘Deeper with the senses…the deep, silent exchange of energies… this leela with dance goes on’. While the theory of the central Marga style belonging to South-East Asia and the regional …

Jaikishore Mosalikanti presented Kuchipudi in diverse formats
2 years, 1 month ago

Jaikishore Mosalikanti presented Kuchipudi in diverse formats

The Hindu  

Well-rehearsed and synchronised, Jaikishore Mosalikanti, Padmavani and along with dancers from Shivamohanam, fairly scorched the stage at The Music Academy with the Tyagaraja pancharatna kriti, ‘Jagadananda karaka’. The visualisation by guru Vempati Chinna Satyam was adapted by Jaikishore for a group — one should appreciate the perfect timing of the frequent entries and exits, but the action became tiring after …

Karaikudi Mani’s Nandhikeswara Utsav brought together sruthi and laya
2 years, 3 months ago

Karaikudi Mani’s Nandhikeswara Utsav brought together sruthi and laya

The Hindu  

With a focus on bringing music and rhythm together on a single grandstand, mridangam maestro Karaikudi Mani celebrates Nandhikeswara Utsav in various venues. In this year’s Winter Music Festival, hosted by Sruthilaya Kendra, he brought together well-known artistes to perform compositions that are embellished with swaras in intricate laya patterns. A team of singers, violinists and percussionists rendered a set …

Vaani Lakshmi Varma’s impressive debut performance in Chennai
2 years, 8 months ago

Vaani Lakshmi Varma’s impressive debut performance in Chennai

The Hindu  

Ganapathy, the remover of all hurdles, is worshipped at the start of an event. Vaani Lakshmi Varma too began her performance at the Kalakshetra auditorium with a shloka in praise of Ganapathy, before moving on to Alarippu in Tisra Eka talam. The basic elements of the dance form — perfect araimandi posture and symmetry in hand movements and footwork, which …

‘Nayika, The Eternal Love’, a music video, fuses a Swathi padam into a Kathakali recital
2 years, 11 months ago

‘Nayika, The Eternal Love’, a music video, fuses a Swathi padam into a Kathakali recital

The Hindu  

Carnatic vocalist Sangeetha N Rao says she visualises a song in her mind as she renders it to make it an evocative experience for her listeners. She says: “I believe that music and dance complement each other beautifully and that’s when a recital feels complete.” Many of the Swathi padams have already been choreographed by renowned Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam dancers. …

Know Your Classical Dances: Locating Kuchipudi’s roots and transformations in traditions of dance-drama
3 years ago

Know Your Classical Dances: Locating Kuchipudi’s roots and transformations in traditions of dance-drama

Firstpost  

In each recital, Kuchipudi has retained at its core the flavours of the sensual, romantic, and erotic shringara rasa that have shaped its oldest renditions. While the Vaishnavite school, particularly its proponent Siddhendra Yogi, is known to have developed a Kuchipudi tradition following the norms laid down in treatises like Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra and Nandikeshvara’s Abhinaya Darpana, in its …

Aishwarya opted for a traditional margam
3 years, 2 months ago

Aishwarya opted for a traditional margam

The Hindu  

In the midst of watching thematic presentations, a simple Bharatanatyam margam came as a breath of fresh air. Aishwarya Ananth Kartikh chose classic compositions from the repertoire for her performance at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Natya festival. She began with ‘Eeshana sandhi’ kavuthuvam in Malahari raga, composed by the Thanjavur Quartet, and choreographed by her guru Sudharani Raghupathy. The timeless …

Immaculate raga exposition by Amrutha Venkatesh
3 years, 4 months ago

Immaculate raga exposition by Amrutha Venkatesh

The Hindu  

A rare enthusiasm and freshness marked the online vocal concert of Amrutha Venkatesh for the 63rd Annual Art Festival of the South Indian Cultural Association, Hyderabad. Melodic swaraprastara Amrutha followed this up with Swati Tirunal’s popular Mayamalavagowla composition, ‘Deva deva kalayami’ in Rupakam, with a lengthy, melodic swaraprastara at the pallavi. Then came the breezy Kadanakuthuhalam composition by Mysore Vasudevachar, …

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the vasakasajja, a woman consumed by yearning
3 years, 8 months ago

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the vasakasajja, a woman consumed by yearning

Firstpost  

This series is an exploration of the ashtanayika of classical dance — the eight types of heroines which depict a woman’s many thoughts and emotional states. The ashtanayika give voice to the thoughts of a woman caught in myriad situations concerning her lover, and are considered to be among the most beautiful and enduring forms of abhinaya in the study …

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the vipralabdha, a woman who sets out to meet her lover, and is left forlorn by his absence
3 years, 9 months ago

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the vipralabdha, a woman who sets out to meet her lover, and is left forlorn by his absence

Firstpost  

This series is an exploration of the ashtanayika of classical dance — the eight types of heroines which depict a woman’s many thoughts and emotional states. The ashtanayika give voice to the thoughts of a woman caught in myriad situations concerning her lover, and are considered to be among the most beautiful and enduring forms of abhinaya in the study …

Feats of artistry at Monsoon Fest in Thrissur
5 years, 8 months ago

Feats of artistry at Monsoon Fest in Thrissur

The Hindu  

Eclectic performances of a cross-section of Indian classical dances were staged at Monsoon Fest 2019 held in Thrissur. She opened with Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s composition on Ganapathy, ‘Aja mukha pankaja’. ‘Kaiso niko laga, banra mora aankhan mein’, a Khayal in rag Malkauns and teen Taal, described the charms of the groom. ‘Ja Jo Badarwa’ in Miyan Malhar and teen Taal, …

Vignettes of Shivaratri festival at Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur
9 years ago

Vignettes of Shivaratri festival at Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur

The Hindu  

For eight days in succession the precincts of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur, reverberated with devotion as eclectic performances of dance and music were staged as part of the annual Shivaratri festival. The varnam ‘Modama intha velayil,’ a popular composition of K. N. Dhandayuthapani in Kharaharapriya and Adi, was well balanced in nritta and nrithya. The main raga Mohanam was explored …

Rama Varma's concert departed from the regular format to present a variety of compositions.
9 years, 1 month ago

Rama Varma's concert departed from the regular format to present a variety of compositions.

The Hindu  

VISAKHAPATNAM: Some concerts are just to hear and some other to be cherished; the concert of renowned prince Rama Varma belongs to the latter and his recent concert at Boat View in Vysakhi Jala Vudyanavam Visakhapatnam is no exception. It was originally tuned in raga Sree by the author but redoubtable Chambai Vydyanath Bhagavatar did it in raga Yadukula Kombhoji …

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