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 Pillai built a grand edifice of musical aesthetics in his Navaragamalika varnam ‘Swamiyai azhaithodi vaa’, weaving appropriate ragas to suit the mood of the lyrics. In Kavi Kunjara Bharathi’s padam, ‘Yengaanum vara vara’ in raga Kalyani, and the Patnam Subramanya Aiyar’s javali, ‘Appudu manasu in raga Khamas, the dancer showcased various nayikas with shades of contrasting emotions. Nithyakalyani’s experience once again came through in the Behag tillana, which was danced at a pace in which one could enjoy the rhythmic beauty of the piece.

 bharatanatyam  pillai  vara  experience  appeal  nayikas  radha  start  traditional  nityakalyani  raga  timeless  rhythmic  padam  repertoire

History of this topic

Young Bharatanatyam dancer Sivashree Kumar showcases her training and technique
1 month ago

Young Bharatanatyam dancer Sivashree Kumar showcases her training and technique

The Hindu  

Sivashree Kumar, a disciple of R. Vijay Madhavan, began her solo recital at Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha’s Bharat Nritya Utsav 2025, Chennai, with ‘Sadashiva Kumara’, a composition by Papanasam Sivan, in raga Suddha Saveri and Adi tala. The next piece, ‘Maasil veenaiyum’, a Thevaram in Poorvikalyani and Adi tala, depicted the bliss of surrendering to Shiva. The concluding piece, ‘Chinnanjiru …

Dancer Jyotsna Vaidee lends a personal touch to her art
1 month, 1 week ago

Dancer Jyotsna Vaidee lends a personal touch to her art

The Hindu  

Beginning with a pushpanjali, Jyotsna Vaidee moved on to Subbaraya Sastri’s ‘Janani Ninnuvina’ for her performance at Krishna Gana Sabha. A rare Thevaram was used to depict Shiva’s form and his attributes, before Jyotsna moved to the varnam in Sankarabharanam, a composition by Papanasam Sivan in praise of Kapaleeswarar. The dancer shifted effortlessly from depicting admiration for Shiva in the …

Kavita Ramu chose Arunagirinathar’s popular Tamil verse to begin her dance performance
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Kavita Ramu chose Arunagirinathar’s popular Tamil verse to begin her dance performance

The Hindu  

In the present-day dance scenario, where virtuosity and speed seem to dominate proceedings, it was refreshing to see a Margam presented by Kavita Ramu, a disciple of K.J. She drew attention to the beauty of traditional repertoire in her presentation for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s dance festival. Arunagirinathar’s celebrated Tiruppugazh ‘Muthaitharu pathithirunagai’ in praise of Muruga, where the lyrics pour …

A soulful evening of music, dance, and cultural legacy
1 month, 2 weeks ago

A soulful evening of music, dance, and cultural legacy

Hindustan Times  

It was an evening filled with nostalgia and reverence as Dev Swaranjali 2025 unveiled a soulful celebration of music, dance and legacy at Gyan Bharti School. Geeta Chandran The event began with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, setting the stage for an enchanting flute recital by Padma Vibhushan Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia and his troupe. Following this, chief guest Pavan K Varma …

Bharatanatyam dancer K.P. Rakesh unravels the beauty of Jayadeva’s ashtapadi
1 month, 3 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, 3 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, 4 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 …

Shruthi Vidhyashankar’s varnam ‘Samiyai Vara Cholladi’ was impressive
1 month, 4 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 …

The use of tala and raga in different performance styles
2 months ago

The use of tala and raga in different performance styles

The Hindu  

The final day of The Music Academy’s academic sessions featured a lecture on ‘Tala Laya Sampradayam, Jaati, Gathi and Jathi’ by vidwan Parasala Ravi. Ragas in the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela’ The final lecture demonstration was presented by the Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers — S. Narasimhan and S. Venkatesan — on the topic ‘Ragas in the Melattur Bhagavatha Mela’. The lecture shed light …

Into the world of apsaras
2 months ago

Into the world of apsaras

The Hindu  

It makes for a vibrant watch when a Bharatanatyam performance is based on the celestial dancers – Rambha, Menaka and Urvashi, and when the artistes’ on stage bring alive the characters. Srekala Bharath and her Thejas School of Performing Arts presented Deva Madhargal, a thematic group performance, at Bharat Kalachar, with music by Rukmini Ramani, daughter of the legendary composer …

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 …

When raga Bhairavi meets a Bharatanatyam movement
2 months, 1 week ago

When raga Bhairavi meets a Bharatanatyam movement

The Hindu  

The relentless hustle and clamour that is Margazhi in Chennai, for artistes and audience alike, is equally potent with spaces or moments of stillness and quiet immersion. Curated by Sparsha Arts Foundation, led by Vidhya Subramanian, “Where the music meets the dance”, a session on musicality in dance facilitated by Mavin Khoo and Brindha Manickavasakan, was one such stilling experience. …

Mahathi’s ode to Tamil language and culture
2 months, 1 week ago

Mahathi’s ode to Tamil language and culture

The Hindu  

S. Mahathi’s performance at the Tamil Isai Sangam was rooted in reverence for Tamil musical traditions. Mahathi had curated a songlist of compositions by Tamil composers and saints — she began with an elegant rendition of ‘Vallabhai nayaka’, a varnam in Mohana Kalyani, composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman. The concert’s progression brought a distinct shift with Ramalinga Adigalar’s Tiruvarutpa, with the …

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 …

Bharat Sundar bares the soul of raga Abheri
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Bharat Sundar bares the soul of raga Abheri

The Hindu  

Bharat Sundar is a dependable vocalist, who is constantly on the learning curve and making efforts to frame an impressive concert format. Surprisingly, without going in for a fast number, he sang ‘Paal ninainthoottum thayinum’, a virutham in Dhanyasi, and followed it up with Gopalakrishna Bharati’s ‘Kanaka sabapathi darisanam’ in sowkhya bhava. Tyagaraja’s lively number in Kuntalavarali ‘Sara sara samare’ …

How some ragas in Kathakali evoke specific emotions and serve dramatic purposes
2 months, 4 weeks ago

How some ragas in Kathakali evoke specific emotions and serve dramatic purposes

The Hindu  

Day 9 of the academic sessions at The Music Academy started off with a captivating lec dem by Nedumbally Ram Mohan and Meera Ram Mohan on ‘Abhinaya Sangeetam of Kathakali: The Blend of Raga and Bhava’. Amrita Murali on different compositional forms The second session featured a lec dem by vidushi Amrita Murali on ‘Raga’s changing nature across compositional forms’. …

Divya Ravi brought out well the myraid emotions of Andal through her captivating imageries
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Divya Ravi brought out well the myraid emotions of Andal through her captivating imageries

The Hindu  

An unscheduled stopover at an auditorium where a Bharatanatyam performance was taking place turned out to be an enriching experience. Adding an extra dimension to the musical passages, Divya incorporated a few select verses — ‘Ulangunda Vilangani pol, Koodidu koodale, Vinneela Melappu, Kallavizh Poonganai Thoduthukondu’ from the Nachiyar Thirumozhi, rendered poetically by Nattuvanar Jyotshna Akilan. The imageries used — that …

A Symphony of Emotions: Praveen Kumar's 'Tyagaraja hrt sadana' Takes Center Stage
5 months ago

A Symphony of Emotions: Praveen Kumar's 'Tyagaraja hrt sadana' Takes Center Stage

The Hindu  

A dance performance exploring the emotions in Tygaraja's compositions showcased the aestheticism, imagination, abhinaya, and nritta of Bharatanatyam. The performance, presented by the Chitkala School of Dance, featured a shloka in praise of Tyagaraja and was performed by dancers from Mangaluru. The program included a variety of pieces, including 'Sri Raama Jaya Raama, Shringaara Raama', 'Sogasu jooda tharamaa', and 'Jagadanandakaraka'.

How changing seasons can be portrayed through dance
7 months ago

How changing seasons can be portrayed through dance

The Hindu  

Every year Natyarangam, the dance wing of Narada Gana Sabha, brings together artistes and scholars for its annual thematic festival. Rama Vaidyanathan’s Vasantha Rithu The festival began with senior Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan heralding the Spring. Apoorva Jayaraman’s Grishma Rithu It was time to move on to the next season — Summer, as Apoorva Jayaraman presented ‘Grishma Rithu‘. Unlike the …

Harinie Jeevitha’s ‘Varadarajam Upasmahe’ had all the artistic elements in the right proportion
11 months, 1 week 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 …

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 …

Mallika Sarabhai’s Past Forward explores evolution of the woman’s voice and her identity in dance and life
1 year ago

Mallika Sarabhai’s Past Forward explores evolution of the woman’s voice and her identity in dance and life

The Hindu  

In the place of the pining nayika, commonly seen in Bharatanatyam, is a nayika of substance in danseuse actor Mallika Sarabhai’s production Past Forward. Excerpts from the repertoire of Bharatanatyam have been blended with verse and song to portray the modern-day nayika who battles the odds to rise, Phoenix-like, as in Maya Angelou’s poem ‘Still I Rise’. She says I …

A colourful portrait of ragas by Sikkil Gurucharan
2 years, 3 months ago

A colourful portrait of ragas by Sikkil Gurucharan

The Hindu  

Smart choice of ragas and kritis, careful distribution of time, keeping the raga treatises and swarakalpana under control and avoiding over indulgence — all these contribute to the success of a concert. With his vocal cords in fine form, Gurucharan opened the performance with the ghana raga Adi tala varnam, ‘Chalamela jesevura’ by Vinjamoori Varadaraja Iyengar. The raga’s splendour could …

An impressive thematic presentation by Rasika Arts Foundation
2 years, 4 months ago

An impressive thematic presentation by Rasika Arts Foundation

The Hindu  

In connection with the 40th anniversary of Noopura Academy of Indian dances, Mangaluru, Sulochana V Bhat had organised a Bharathanatyam performance by students of the Bengaluru-based Rasika Arts Foundation. The nimble footwork, fleeting facial expressions, graceful body language and the beautiful co-ordination among the performers spoke highly of the training they had received from gurus Kiran Subramanyam and Sandhya Kiran. …

Aditya Madhavan’s raga essays were steeped in manodharma
2 years, 8 months ago

Aditya Madhavan’s raga essays were steeped in manodharma

The Hindu  

Aditya Madhavan’s recent concert for Madhuradhwani and Aanmajothi was aesthetic from the word go. Connoisseur’s delight Aditya Madhavan’s extensive Begada alapana for Muthuswami Dikhitar’s ‘Tyagarajaya namaste’ was a connoisseur’s delight. Another gem of a composition in this concert was Tiruvarur Ramaswamy Pillai’s ‘Sree Kamakshi Katakshi’ on the Goddess of Vedapuri in Tamil Nadu. This composition is attributed to Subbaraya Sastri …

One life is not enough to fully understand Bharatanatyam: Geeta Chandran
2 years, 10 months ago

One life is not enough to fully understand Bharatanatyam: Geeta Chandran

Firstpost  

After a hiatus of 30 months, forced upon the veteran dancer by the COVID pandemic, Chandran will be performing live for the first time on 21 May at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre in New Delhi Starting from the age of five, Bharatnatyam dancer Geeta Chandran has spent the last 55 years teaching and performing the classical dance, 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: How Bharatnatyam, rooted in temple dances of Devdasis, contributes to nation's sociopolitical climate
3 years ago

Know Your Classical Dances: How Bharatnatyam, rooted in temple dances of Devdasis, contributes to nation's sociopolitical climate

Firstpost  

Indian classical dances – celebrated across the globe for their enriching and mesmerising virtuosity – can be traced back to centuries-old ways of storytelling, performed as much for entertainment as for the spread of cultures and knowledge. From a dance of the devdasis traditionally performed in temple precincts in Tamil Nadu to becoming a solo recital formalised by stalwarts like …

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the abhisarika, a woman who embarks on adventures to meet her beloved
3 years, 7 months ago

Ashtanayika of classical dance: On the abhisarika, a woman who embarks on adventures to meet her beloved

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. Within the traditional repertoire of Indian classical dance, a performer portrays the abhisarika through a secret journey that takes this heroine from her home to the bower in the forest, or a secluded spot …

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 …

Adherence to tradition marked Tyagaraja Aradhana in Coimbatore
5 years, 1 month ago

Adherence to tradition marked Tyagaraja Aradhana in Coimbatore

The Hindu  

Music buffs were in for a rich aural treat at the 66th year celebration of Tyagabrahma Gananjali that took place at Kikani Vidya Mandir, Coimbatore. The raga alapana of Sankarabharanam for the kriti, ‘Etudanilachite’ was marked by picturesque prayogas and karvais softened by melodic graces. The opening ‘Maakelera’ with swaras setting the tone of the session was followed by a …

Of artistry and virtuosity
5 years, 4 months ago

Of artistry and virtuosity

The Hindu  

​​​Dharani Kalotsav, an annual dance and music festival in Kochi, had a fine line-up of veterans and up-and-coming Bharatanatyam dancers. Sayani Chakraborthy with her firm footwork and dynamic dance language brought a lot of energy into her performance on the second day with the classic Bhairavi padavarnam in Roopaka tala ‘Mohamana en meedil’. Though his raga alapanas took the fast …

Bharatanatyam, then and now
6 years, 2 months ago

Bharatanatyam, then and now

The Hindu  

Speaking as a practicing artiste, who has inherited that tradition from illustrious gurus, Malavika Sarukkai took a deep look at the art and the changes that has influenced Bharatanatyam. What elevated her morning lec-dem session at The Music Academy on ‘Tradition and change in Bharatanatyam’ was her sincere introspection into the dance’s deeper meaning without merely resorting to words. Stillness …

Fine footwork to the fore
7 years, 11 months ago

Fine footwork to the fore

The Hindu  

A very orthodox repertoire greeted the audience who gathered at LTG theatre recently to witness Ananya Chatterjee’s Bharatanatyam solo in the Kalakshetra bani. After a beatific ‘Trideva Vandana’ during the solo presentation hosted by Divinity Series at India Habitat Centre, wherein he eulogised the deities of wealth and knowledge finally concluding it with the customary ‘Ganesh’ invocation, Parshwanath moved to …

Aesthetics and technique in tandem
8 years, 8 months ago

Aesthetics and technique in tandem

The Hindu  

Wrapped in a cool breeze under cloudy skies, Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan on beach road Visakhapatnam reverberated to melodic notes as Sapta Veena tarangini wafted soothing music around. With Pappu Padma Ravisanka in lead in tandem with renowned Bhamidipati Kanaka Durga Prasad, a team of up and coming players of veena enthusiastically displayed their artistic talent. After an appealing presentation of …

Visakha Art and Dance Association celebrated World Dance Day
8 years, 10 months ago

Visakha Art and Dance Association celebrated World Dance Day

The Hindu  

Visakha Art and Dance Association which has been in the forefront in the promotion of classical dance, particularly Kuchipudi, conducted a grand dance fest on the eve of World Dance Day at Kalabharati, Visakhapatnam. Of all, themes related to Lord Krishna and Lord Siva take pride of the place in the dance repertoires and most of the pieces presented in …

Catching up with the contemporary
8 years, 11 months ago

Catching up with the contemporary

The Hindu  

HYDERABAD: On a brightly lit stage, a group of young dancers tell the story of Khadi and how this natural fabric lost its power to the British invasion. Vyshanvie’s show is one among an increasing number of dance productions that seek to experiment and highlight contemporary concerns, rather than go with the traditional themes based on mythology, folklore and epics. …

The Thanjavur flavour
9 years, 1 month ago

The Thanjavur flavour

The Hindu  

A repertoire highlighting the Tanjore school of Bharatnatyam, nurtured by guru Kittappa Pillai, was presented by Nartaki Natraj at The Music Academy. Beginning with a virutham in Poornachandrika in praise of Rajarajeshwari, her depiction of Sri Chakram with accurate hand gestures enhanced the sancharis that drew up a magnificent portrait of the goddess. Seven ragas — Thodi, Purvikalyani, Bhairavi, Kalyani, …

Hema arangam: Myriad portrayals
9 years, 1 month ago

Hema arangam: Myriad portrayals

The Hindu  

Hema Arangam Cultural Society celebrated its first anniversary at CCRT on Republic Day. Students of Hema Arangam, Bharatanatyam dancer Kiranmayee Madupu, costume designer Ghana NB and sand artist Kanth Risa mesmerised the audience with their creativity. Kiranmayee Madupu, disciple of veteran guru Hemamalini Arni, who has named her cultural organisation in honour of her guru, has come a long way …

Discover Related