A fitting tribute

PROMISING Maya Dhananjay needs a special mention for her inspiring performance

A veteran exponent of the Bharatanatya, guru Narmada is a name to reckon with. Her contribution to the field of Bharatanatya is immense and varied. As an adept choreographer she has innumerable productions to her credit. As a guru she is par excellence. Though she had many ups and downs in her personal life, she never got perturbed by them and carried on her mission of popularising the Bharatanatya. Her disciples all over the world have been actively engaged in propagating the art of Bharatanatya.

In a delightful and dignified programme held at the Yavanika, she was felicitated by her leading disciples on the occasion of completion of 25 years, by her school of dance Shakuntala Nrithyalaya. The disciples paid dance tribute to their guru and did her proud with impeccable performances. The disciples who performed were P. Praveenkumar, Dr. Sridhar, Sathyanarayana Raju, Nirupama Rajendra, B.L. Lalitha, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Indira Kadambi, Nandini Mehtha, Subhashini Vasanth, Savithri Ramaiah, Soundarya Srivatsa, Padmini Upadhya along with Malathi Iyengar and her daughter Lakshmi Iyengar of Rangoli Foundation of California.

Todaya Mangalam (raga and talamalika) and "Jaya Janaki Ramana" were rendered by Sridhar, Savithri, Raju and Nirupama. One could enjoy the nritta appended to it. Sowndarya, Lalitha, Praveen, Lakshmi and Indira demonstrated their hold over laya in the presentation of a swarakattu in Todi raga. The different traits of Ganesha were captured by Lakshmi, Nandini and Subhashini with the lyrical support from "Ananda Narthana Ganapathim".

The three-tiered varna was addressed to Lord Brihadeeshwara. Charana in drutha laya was done excellently. The dancers worked out the varna in duos and trios and at the end all of them provided a well laid-out teermana in unison. It was a delight to watch this item rendered by the seasoned and talented dancers. The concluding Dhanasri tillana saw the dancers in groups moving like one unit and render the demanding teermana with ease.

Srivatsa (vocal), Madhusudan (flute) were in their elements. Double mridanga by Gurumurthy and Kiran Subramanya was the special attraction of the evening.

Veteran Guru late S.V. Srinivas was remembered on his 86th birth anniversary by her prized-disciple Shubha Dhananjay at the ADA Rangamandira. The programme presented under the banner of Shubha's Natyantharanga was titled "Guru Namana".

It was befitting and enthralling to see 101 students of Shubha performing in groups and rendering different compositions on the stage. It was also pleasing to note and watch Shubha's senior students. The welcome speech by Dhananjay was followed Pushpanjali, Brahma sandhi,Ganesh, Muruga and Natesh Kauthuvams, Saraswathi and Shiva Vandanas presented in an admirable disciplined way. There was simplicity in artistry. Maya Dhananjay, in her early teens, disciple and daughter Shubha Dhananjay and Dhananjay deserves a special mention here for her three compositions and a praiseworthy Kathak performance (Ganesha Vandana).

M. SURYA PRASAD

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