Bharatanatyam
Bharatnatyam
literally means the “Dance of India”. The broadly accepted theory on the
evolution of Bharatanatyam is that the dance form got its name from Sage Bharata Muni who wrote the
Natya Shastra formulating the principles of dance, which is considered
the” Bible of Indian classical dance”. Another interpretation is that the word,
“Bharata”, represents the three essential aspects of the art, “Bha” for Bhava
(emotions),”Ra” for Raga (melody/music), and “Ta” for Taala (rhythm).
Bharatanatyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance
movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect), and Nritya
(combination of Nritta and Natya). It is the dance of the mind and soul and is
known for its grace, purity tenderness and sculpturesque poses..
It lifts the dancer and audience to a higher level of spiritual consciousness
Arangetram
Arangetram
(ascending the stage), marks the first qualified dance of an aspiring artist.
It is the culmination of her comprehensive education in dance and the beginning
of a dance career. The artist performs various dance excerpts and exhibits the
knowledge she has acquired over several years of dedicated and strenuous
training. In this debut, the artist seeks the blessings of Lord Nataraja, the
Guru and the audience.
Coming from Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India, Guru Smt. Vani Nidadavolu learned Kuchipudi as well as
Bharatanatyam at a young age. She hails from a family of musicians and
connoisseurs of fine arts. She is a renowned artist in Tri-State area and has
done many solo as well as group performances in India as well as in the US. She has
been training and sculpting local Indian girls as classical dancers since 1993.
She runs her dance school under the name of Vani Natyalayam in Trumbull as well as in Monroe and at the Stratford
Hindu temple, CT. Her students have performed in numerous occasions and have volunteered
in many fund raising events. She is a master choreographer and choreographs all
her dance pieces in Kalakshetra style, adding her personal touch of grace and
intricacy to the dances without compromising the traditional style. She not
only teaches classical, but also folk and fusion. In addition to dance, Vani
holds Master’s Degree in Commerce and Diploma in Interior decorating. She
credits her success in dance to her mother and father.
Sishya
Mahika
has had a passion for Dance from the very beginning and has been learning
Bharatanatyam for 9 plus years now. She started dancing at age five, and learnt
all the basic adavus and mudras from Guru Kavita Kuppuswamy whom she fondly
referred to as “Kavita Teacher”. When Kavita moved away to Texas, Mahika continued her training under
Guru Dr. Francis Barboza for a year .Mahika truly blossomed under Guru Vani
Nidadavolu’s guidance who effortlessly stepped in from where Kavita and Dr Barboza
left off and brought her to this culmination,her dance graduation/debut. Vani has been Mahika’s teacher and guide for the past 5 years. Besides Bharatanatyam, Mahika has excelled
at Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Bollywood and Gymnastics. Mahika is a sincere,
hardworking and dedicated student. This coming fall she will be a sophomore at Norwalk
High School.
As a freshman she took all Honors classes and played the flute in the Norwalk
High School Marching Band, ran indoor and outdoor Track and was elected
Vice President of her Class.
Dances
1. Pushpanjali
Raga: Saraswathi Talam: Aadi
Pushpanjali means offering of flowers. The dancer usually enters
the stage holding flowers in her hands, which are offered to the deity. Here
the dancer pays respect to God, Guru, and the audience. Pushpanjali
is performed with very simple jathis(sequences of footwork).
2.Ganesh Kauthuvam.
Ragam:Nattai Taalam: Aadi
Composer: Gangaimuthu Nattuvanar
Choreography: Dr. Francis Barboza
This dance is a prayer to Lord Ganesha, son of Parvati and Shiva
and the remover of obstacles. Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a
curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. This
is a fast-paced invocatory dance where the dancer offers her prayers to the
Lord Ganesha and seeks his blessings to make the event a success. In a
Kauthuvam, chollukattus (rhythmic syllables) are intertwined with the lyrics of
the song. Thus it has both nritta (footwork) and abhinaya (expressions)
components in its choreography
3.Jathiswaram
Ragam: Suddhadhanyasi Talam: Tisra Dhruvam
The Jathiswaram is a pure dance composition where the dancer
executes several intricate sequences to a basic musical composition. It has no
line of poetry. The dance is so choreographed as to display the dancer’s brisk
footwork, rhythmic coordination and grace.
4.Shabdam
Ragam:Todi
Talam: Aadi
A Shabdam is an “abhinaya nritya” or interpretation of a song
through gestures and expressions. This piece “Swagatam Krishna” describes the
mischief of young Lord Krishna who is the beautiful and lovable charmer of the
gopikas (village belles ) of Gokul. At the same time he is the savior of the
pious people ,the rishis and saints and destroyer of evil forces like Kaalinga
the snake or Kamsa’s elephant.
5.Shiva Stuthi
Ragam: Revati Talam:
Misrachapu
Lord Nataraja is considered to be the
God of dance in Hindu mythology. In this dance piece, Shiva is described as the
divine cosmic dancer, the ocean of compassion with whose blessings one can
cross the “Bhava sagar”.He resides in the hearts of his devotees as Nataraja
in a place called Chidambaram.Here the
dancer describes how Lord Shiva holds the cosmic fire and the drums in his
hands.He is the omnipresent cosmic dancer.He is Isha,Sabesha (Nataraja) and Sarvesha(the lord of all).
6.Varnam
Raga: Abhog Talam:
Aadi
The Varnam is the main item in
Bharatantyam recital, in which all aspects of dance are found. It is the
touchstone of an artist’s caliber for demonstrating her mastery over intricate footwork and interpretative dance.
It is the longest and most challenging piece. Nritta (pure dance) and Nritya
(interpretative movements) alternate through the piece in such a way that the
continuous development of a theme is insured.
7.Narayana Theertha Tharangam
Ragam: Hindolam Talam: Aadi
This piece a Tharangam composed by Sri
Narayana Theertha, captures essentially the devotion that the dancer has for
Lord Krishna. In this dance piece, Lord
Krishna is described as being decorated with
jewelry and holding a precious stone called Kausthubham in his heart and
saving the universe by destroying the demons. Interestingly this dance piece
ends with the artist dancing on a brass plate and executing rhythmical footwork
.
8.Laali Padare
Ragam: Madhyamavathi Talam:
Aadi
This item is dedicated to Lord Sri
Venkateswara of Dwaraka Tirumala. At bedtime the dames move the cradle wing of
Lord Venkateswara accompanied by Alamelumanga and Padmavathi.
9.Tillana
Raga: Abheri Tala:
Aadi
The Tillana is designed to introduce
variety and rhythmic excitement into the latter portion of the program. It
consists of rhythmic syllables and a few lines of sahitya (text) coming towards
the end. The Tillana provides a fitting conclusion to a dance recital creating
a joyful and exhilarating mood. This is an item with lively beats and alluring
poses.
Arangetram concludes with the Mangalam
(Mangalam is a salutation to God, the Guru, and the audience)
