THE HINDU

18.09.2009

Dance is my life now

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN

P.T. Narendran has made a name for himself as a sought-after dancer and choreographer in Europe and Australia.

“Do I want to be a celebrity soloist like Pt. Birju Maharaj? Am I not lucky to be where I am now?” exclaims Bharatanatyam artist P.T.Narendran, who, at 42, seems to retain some of his childhood innocence. When a critic praised the boy for showing promise as Lakshmana (in Rukmini Devi’s Ramayana series at Kalakshetra), young Narendran had cried out, “What promise? I haven’t promised anyone anything!”

With a Kaikottukali artist for grandfather, Kerala-born Narendran learnt Kathakali from his sister Kalamandalam Ambika. Winning every dance competition in school, the boy found himself in Kalakshetra with a scholarship to study Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. “Those days, it was like going to New York,” he laughs.

Great teacher

It was a golden age at Kalakshetra, with fine, committed teachers. Also a time of iron discipline. Running, physical training and traditional exercises began before sunrise. The boy did his share of grumbling until he realised how supple the regimen made him. Guru Sarada Hoffman was adept at bringing out the best in every student. She would say, “You are a king, your body is the horse that must follow every order of yours.” Once, when the boy promised to practise his araimandi at home, she flashed back, “Then why are you in class?”

Narendran’s stage debut in ‘Meenakshi Vijayam’ turned the child into a sage. ‘Don’t know who exactly, Patanjali or Vyaghrapada!” he admits, but is proud even today to demonstrate his first tiny part with relish! The boy next practised cartwheels on the beach, for his monkey’s role in building Rama’s bridge across the ocean. But the first time on stage, the monkey took a wrong turn and disappeared into the wings. Rukmini Devi surfaced from laughter to warn the boy not to tumble into the sea. “How can I forget her narrating the entire story of the Ramayana to me when I first played Lakshmana, so that I could understand my part in the epic!”

In time, Narendran developed a presence and command as he shaped major characters in the Kalakshetra dance dramas. After graduating with first class honours, being recruited to teach at the institution proved a tough challenge. “I was 19. So I had to upgrade my students to the same level as those of senior teachers.”

In the initial years, even the meagre salary of ‘triple five’ (Rs. 555) did not daunt the young man. “To stand on the Kalakshetra stage was to feel the vibrations! I became Lakshmana with a single touch of Janardhan Sir playing Rama, a mere glance from Krishnaveni Akka as Sita. They never projected themselves, they projected the character.”

After 10 years on the faculty, Narendran opted for freelancing. Almost overnight, he turned into a sought-after dancer and choreographer in Europe and Australia. His event manager ensures that he is booked for solo performances by organisations as varied as an Italian orphanage, a Swiss theatre festival and the Protestant Church Community in Germany. Today, Narendran conducts workshops/ lec-dems at universities and art centres. He teaches students abroad, often their children too, and choreographs new works for other groups. Like Kalakshetra productions? Narendran folds his hands reverentially saying, “Rukmini Devi was like a goddess! Her works are like Tyagaraja kritis. Incomparable! Whatever I do is inspired by her.”

Quality matters

Not that he is a stranger to setbacks. “Sometimes artists don’t cooperate fully. Or musicians feel that rehearsals are for dancers, whereas it is for both to achieve perfect co-ordination.” He is proud to declare that he is a self-made man. In 35 years as a professional, he never once applied to any sabha for a chance to perform. “Sabha space, lighting and acoustics are not satisfactory. I don’t want to compromise on quality.”

His biggest strength? “Patience, inculcated by my father. Some of my students are as easy to handle as wild horses. But I believe that we must understand our students, not expect them to understand us!” Is he happy? Satisfied? Now, married to Malaysian dancer Maveena and a father of two, Narendran says confidently, “Yes, I make a good living, I feel secure. I didn’t dream of becoming a dancer. But it’s my life now.”

Magazine Web Edition > January/February/March 2005 > The Globe Trotting Lord of Dance

FINE ARTS

The Globe Trotting Lord of Dance

An exceptional talent brings international recognition to South Indian Dance

Meera Vayapooree, MauritiusPublications

His powerful and dynamic dance performances have made him one of Bharata Natyam's most important modern-day, international ambassadors. P. T. Narendran's enthusiastic energy, poise and grace combined with his masculine strength and flexibility bring a new dimension to this timeless dance form usually dominated by lady performers. For him, dance is more than art. It is life. "Practising and learning at least one art form, " he says, "is essential for bringing forth the finer qualities as a human being."

Narendran has carved out a name and a fan club on five continents. In Chennai alone, the Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram awarded him the Bharata Natya Kalaingan certificate in 1989, the Kalaimagal Sabha presented him with the silver trophy in 1995 and the Temple of World Peace gave him the Gnana Oli Thiru Thondar Award in 2001.

P. T. Narendran was born into a family of dancers in the Southern Indian state of Kerala. For more than five generations, his relatives had become famous performing a popular form of folk dance called Kai Kotti Kali. Kai means "hands." Kotti means "to clap." And kali means "dance."

It was Narendran's sister who first introduced him to dance. She was a highly trained classical dancer and was his first teacher. His father was enthusiastic about his taking up dance and wielded a strong paternal will in motivating the boy during the first years of instruction.

His training reached maturity at the legendary Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts in Chennai under the eagle eye and in the loving presence of Rukmini Devi, Kalakshetra's founder.

Young Narendran graduated with first class honors at Kalakshetra and continued on there to obtain even more accolades at the postgraduate level. In 1989, upon the completion of his studies, he became the principal dancer at Kalakshetra.

Today, though he is a freelance performer and trainer, he is still the featured performer in the many dance dramas given at the renowned school. As a professional, he has performed at festivals in Europe, Russia, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Malaysia, Reunion island in the Indian Ocean and most recently in Mauritius, where he was interviewed by Hinduism Today for this article.

Asked whether he has ever felt overwhelmed by having to perform the parts of Shiva, Vishnu and Rama, Narendran confides that dancing for him calls forth a total dedication from which emanates an all-abiding faith in God.

Although he is a well-seasoned dancer, he still has to cope with that all-too-real rush of adrenalin all performers must face before going on stage. To re-establish balance and calm during those times, he says he turns to Lord Ganesha. As soon as he thinks of the Remover of Obstacles, his attention turns within, away from the external worries and technical concerns. His concentration is immediately refocused on the performance. "This internalization is what we call the rasanubhava, " explains Narendran. "It is an aesthetic experience, but it is not a trance."

"Bharata Natyam is attributed to the Sage Bharata Muni, " explains Narendran. "Lord Brahma revealed to the sage a scripture called the Veda Natya or Natya Shastra, which is a treatise amalgamating the essence of all the other four Vedas. Bha is an abbreviation of bhava which means 'emotion or devotion.' Ra stands for raga, which means 'melody.' And ta is short for talam, which means 'rhythm.' Bharata Muni speaks of the art form as dance drama, showing the opposite values of good and bad, good triumphing over evil. What is depicted must be pleasing to the eyes and ears, and the audience should not just be entertained but should learn something as well. The dancer represents the jivatma (soul) engaging with the Paramatma (the Supreme God)."

Narendran hopes to slowly turn away from performing, as he becomes more involved with teaching. Even now he is setting up his own school in Chennai. Only the future can tell if his imposing presence and commanding authority on stage as a dancer can be matched with a similar charisma as a teacher.

THE HINDU

18.12.2009

As fresh as ever

Gowri Ramnarayan

Photo: N. Sridharan (From left) Sheejith Krishna, Shaly Vijayan, P.T. Narendran and Ganga Thampi.

Kalakshetra’s best known and most loved dance drama production is the six-part Ramayana series choreographed by Rukmini Devi, based mostly on Valmiki’s epic. It moved spare-tongued Rajaji to exclaim, ‘Rukmini Devi has built a veritable temple!’

Like a vast monument, the six parts took 15 years to build (1955-70), with the contribution of many scholars and composers. Rukmini Devi was assisted by dancers she had trained from childhood who could follow where her imagination led. She also had a great music composer in Mysore Vasudevachar whose understanding of Sanskrit, kavya niceties and the dance form itself created an outstanding score for the first four parts. V. Rajaram and Seetharama Sharma admirably completed the task.

What is unique about staging of this magnum opus at Kalakshetra’s 57th art festival (20-25 Dec)?

Marking the occasion is the release of the Ramayana DVDs filmed by Madhu Ambat Productions. Long discussed and abortively attempted in the past, it is director Leela Samson who has finally orchestrated a faithful documentation of Rukmini Devi’s pioneering work for posterity. And it is the present generation of dancers who have had the opportunity to record.

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

CHENNAI, September 23, 2010

East-West meet onstage

K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN

Taintless love wins finally - at the Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival

PSYCHE - T. Narendran and Viraja as Madanan and Sushama. staged at the Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival.

Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival combined innovation and tradition by adapting western plays.

Over the past four to five decades, experiments have been made by several celebrated poets and scholars (including the late poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon) to compose new repertoires in Kathakali – which are based on Indian epics, western classics and on historical personalities and the total number roughly comes to about 200.

Except ‘Karnasapadam,' the debut of most of the stories was also its last performance. One reason for this was the diffidence of the aficionados in accepting new plays.

‘Karnasapadam,' which was written and composed by the late Mali V. Madhavan Nair in 1965, premiered in Delhi, on April 10, 1966. It was presented by the International Kathakali Centre.

Of late, attempts have been made to stage western plays through Kathakali including by foreigners such as Richard Tremblay (‘The Iliad') and David Macruvy (‘King Lear').

In this backdrop, it was interesting to watch the first ever Kathakali festival of western plays conducted recently at Kalakshetra, Chennai, once known for vibrant Kathakali training by thespians such as Gurus Chandu and Ambu Panicker.

Additionally, the festival was more or less a stock-taking of the aesthetics of the art and a brain-storming analysis about how innovations within tradition can be made successful. Like most Kathakali repertoires, the plays also culminate in either a death or a wedding.

The festival began with a brief but traditional kelikottu (playing of drums, gong and cymbals to formally announce a Kathakali performance) at the entrance of the theatre. The Kalakshetra artistes presented ‘Psyche,'(meaning soul) titled as ‘Sushama.' It was composed and choreographed by Sadanam Balakrishnan and grippingly unveiled the story of how love and soul joined together. The new dance patterns in group movements, which were confined to the Kathakali format were appealing. The play progressed gently from the purappadu (introduction in pure dance) with eight dancers. This was the only Kathakali play that portrayed Kamadeva or the Cupid as a protagonist, and P.T. Narendran made the role vibrant.

Arresting soliloquy

The well-rehearsed Viraja made the soliloquy of Sushama, “What more tragedy can befall me when I am ready to embrace death, but I have been punished for a sin that I was not even aware of, ” arresting, aided by the music.

Sophocles' ‘Oedipus,' presented on the second day by Manjuthara, Mangod, Palakkad, and performed by some of the faculty members and alumni of the Kerala Kalamandalam, failed to make the grade. A relatively young Krishnakumar, a trainer at the Kalamandalam played Oedipus, but he blindly imitated veteran Kalamandalam Gopi, known for punctuating the abhinaya with poses. He not only slowed the pace of the play but even confused the curtain-holders, who were unsure about when to end the scene. He also made mistakes in his kalashams (the dance sequence between the verses and at the end of a song). In the wedding sequence, the modern style of bouquet exchange between Oedipus and Jocasta was difficult to accept as Kathakali is known for its austerity.

Nevertheless, the performance by seasoned actors Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan in the role of the half-man, half-lion Sphinx and Kalamandalam Soman as Creon, the minister, were bright and apt. Unfortunately, Creon was carelessly dressed in Kathi (knife type), although this fine character depicted in the attakkatha (Kathakali repertoire) possesses little rajo guna (arrogant and evil with a streak of valour).

So it was not a surprise that no mention was made of its director or choreographer. The next play was a neat presentation of Pierre Corneille's tragicomedy ‘Le Cid,' based on the legend of El Cid and re-named ‘Maharati,' by the Kalakshetra ensemble under the leadership of Sadanam Balakrishnan.

The plot pivoted on Don Rodrigue, his father Don Diegue, his girl friend Chimene and her father De Gormas. The lovers faced a crisis when Diegue was insulted by Gormas. Then at his father's request, Don Rodrigue killed Gormas. Despite her love for Rodrigue, Chimene initially wanted revenge… but finally taintless love won.

Indian Voice

Global Warming and Ramayana – Mangalam Vasan 06.03.2009

Bush fires were soaring, Temperatures were scorching, Master was gruelling and Children were dancing. This was the build up for ‘Ashokavanam’ staged at Alexandra Theatre on the 22nd of Feb. ’09. The theme of ‘global warming’ had practices going on in terrific temperatures with the smell of ash discernible and the children must have felt the heat. Sixty odd children from Rathika Suresh Mahadeva’s Bharatha Kalanjali dance school with the master from Chennai P.T.Narendran, gave us the evening of our lives, truly making us believe there is redemption from global warming. 

Rathika has pondered over the question of climate change endlessly and decided to combine the age old epic Ramayana and global warming. Seetha is discovered in the furrow by King Janaka, thus is earth herself. Askokavanam is symbolic of where mother earth is held captive but is hopeful of deliverance. Hanuman and his monkey battalion represented the environmentalists.  


P.T. Narendran returned this year as Ravana and was spectacular. His bhava as the lustful, conniving Ravana and the subsequent beautifully executed rhythmic fight with Rama was memorable viewing for the audience. The dance in  all scenes were aptly guided by O.S. Arun’s passionate voice modulating according to the mood of the scene, The ragas of his compositions showed from Mandothari’s sadness in Saama to Agni Diva’s awe of Seetha in Sidhu Bairavi.  The students rose to the occasion inspired by such supporting artists, when Sporangia looses her nose the audience winced. When Guha rowed Majestic Rama across the river the audience glided. The woeful Seetha and sprightly hanuman’s exchanges were poignant and moving.  



 Global warming  is symbolised by Agnipravesham of Seetha or trial by fire, mother is on fire and is there hope for humanity? The dance concludeson a positive note saying yes, there is, if humans get their act together. If you don’t heed the warning and mend your ways then four out of the five elements will shrink in size while the sixth element of pollution will cackle and stomp around arrogantly says the eco poet  Dr. V.V.Subramanian who  wrote the beautiful lyrics  for Ashokavanam.



 Kudos to Rathika who thrilled us as the wavering Kaikeyi and Kind Trichada and was the moving force behind this wonderful evening bringing together expertise and achievement, overseas artists and local talent, dance and music of high calibre with a much needed message.

sridharjoshiblogspot.com

A Foot in the door

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009

AN ENTHRALLING BEGINNING

MADRAS WEEK – DAY 1 – 16TH AUGUST 2009

It was exactly the kind of a start that I had expected—explosive, enthralling and educating. It was also exactly the kind of a start that I had foreseen—bleak, dreary and a sense of a missing something. To deal with the latter first, Rajaram was not here to celebrate. I am sure his heart would have been in Madras, but the physical part of him was in far away Muscat. I would have preferred to have him seated right beside me—but it was not to be. The wait is long; he will be here on the 20th, hopefully in time to catch Mohan Raman and his talk on Nagesh, the evergreen comedian.

Let us now deal with the former. Well, the day dawned with a faux pas. A lazy week meant that I had not registered for the Dubash walk, and there was no Rajaram to chauffeur us on a two-wheeler; yes, the response was overwhelming and all three or four vehicles that had to be booked for the walk were full.

I was determined to catch the next event called ‘People’s Park Vazhi Nadai Chindu,’ an enactment on the walk in 1915 of a couple, all the way from Mulla Saheb Street in Sowcarpet to the Arupathumoovar Festival at the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. It was all the more interesting to know that the walk was set to a song in 1915 called the Vazhi Nadai Chindu—in a genre that is called the Gujili.

Well, the Gujili is a genre that was famous in the days of almost no newspapers, no television and no real way of disseminating news. The Gujili was the answer to all these negatives—the news was packaged into neat little sound bytes camouflaging as verses, or was it the reverse? Sung on the streets or in parks, these songs spread news of all kinds; serious headline stuff like Bhagat Singh’s hanging to the typical page 3 stuff like who was ‘dating’ whom! The fact that the lyrics were printed on cheap paper and priced at a quarter of an anna did not make it a newspaper—it was called a ‘kaalanna’ pathirikkai. That the walk took the form of a Gujili song and was printed did not make it Page 3 stuff, or did it?

I have also never been a ‘rasika’ of the fine arts in the sense of blurting out ‘sabaash’es and ‘bale’s at the drop of a hat. I cannot identify a Kaapi from a Todi, but can sure appreciate a good sounding raga rendered well. Same with the dances too. I had doubts as to how Bharathanatyam would deal with a typical Page 3 subject like the Gujili song of a couple on a daylong date, even if for devotional reasons. Believe me, I was happy to be proved wrong, happier to be there for the performance, and happiest to know that I could finally comprehend not only what went with the dance, but the dance itself.

Gayatri Balagurunathan and P.T. Narendran did a wonderful job of enacting the People’s Park Vazhi Nadai Chindu. The emoting and the movements were tailor-made, rather choreographed to perfection by Natyarangam of the Narada Gana Sabha. As S. Janaki gave out the details of how this was made workable, it really sunk in what it takes to enact such an informal song using a format as classical as the Bharathanatyam. The dancers gave it their all, enthralling the three hundred odd invitees at the TAG Center. The places the ‘dating’ couple saw on the way like the temples as they set out from on the Mulla Saheb Street, the then Madras Zoo, the Victoria Public Hall, the temples on the way down to the sweet stall where they dropped by for snacks were all depicted with panache that I had at least till now not seen in my rather limited viewing of classical arts. The temporary deviation notwithstanding, the couple finally reach the temple and have a very satisfying darshan of the Arupathumoovar at the Kapaleeswarar temple. Whether it was Sriram’s selection of photographs to go with the performance, or it was the performance that embellished the photographs I would never know, but what I know for certain was the perfect jugalbandi complementing each other. The standing ovation that the performance received was a testimony of the sheer power of Gayatri and Narendran’s showing.

Sriram later held centre stage. His presentation, the selection of photographs and his humorous narrative equalled, if not excelled the dance show earlier in the morning. I have known speakers use humour to camouflage their lack of mastery in the subject, but Sriram uses humour to embellish his expertise on the subject. The audience was in rapt attention one moment, in splits the next; going quiet rapidly lest they miss something of note. These cycles of silence and laughter were aplenty, and the end of the day, the fact that Sriram was mobbed is adequate proof of this man’s ease of language and mastery of subjects, more so if they are related to periods earlier than his birthday!

But before all this unfolded, I entered TAG centre a rather hungry man, not finding a place to eat some decent breakfast. Imagine my surprise when I was guided to the dining hall to a rather sumptuous breakfast of Pongal, Vadai and Carrot Halwa. How can I eat idlies when Pongal is served? Washed down with a wonderful filter kaapi, I could have easily been lulled into sleep. But Gayatri, Narendran and later Sriram ensured that not one person in the audience let out even as much a yawn —if this is not a perfect start to the Madras Day, then nothing ever is.

POSTED BY SRIDHAR JOSHI AT 9:42 PM

THE HINDU

BANGALORE - FRIDAY REVIEW

December 4, 2009

Of high aesthetic order

Sabari Moksham, one of the ballets performed at the ISKCON festival, was a connoisseur's delight

Bangalore recently witnessed an extravagant dance drama production – “Sabari Moksham” by the Kalakshetra Ensemble (Chennai) under the auspices of The Sringara Festival of Dance Drama held by Iskcon. The legendary dance personality and choreographer Rukmini Devi Arundale along with the music composer Mysore Vasudevacharya worked together on this production and their amalgamated work has resulted in a production highly aesthetic in nature; with dance movements of Bharatanatyam and Kathakali being entwined dexterously to give this dance drama a coveted standard.

The production commenced with the dance of the apsaras in the holy lake “Panchapsara Sarovar” in Sage Agasthya's ashram in abandon creating a celestial atmosphere with the instruments being played by them. The indigenous group choreography with awesome prototypes outlining different angles of the proscenium while executing the jathis set the standard and the pertinent ambience of the production. Rukmini Devi Arundale was mesmerised by the dramatic aesthetics of Kathakali and has used its kinetics extensively in her dance dramas to enhance the characterisation of the male roles. P.T. Narendran's portrayal of the character Rama with high synchronisation of Kathakali and Bharatnatyaswitching over in quick succession, thereby not only enhanced the gorgeousness of his character, however, also suited the macho looks that he carries to symbolise the personality. On the contrary, Sita's movements of lasya using hardcore Bharatnatya well suited with the Tandava aspects used by all the male portrayals.

Soorpanakha, the pivotal character of the evening's story whose usage of Kathakali makeup some what related to “Kari” along with the usage of some Kathakali jewellery like a “Karittaram” at the neck. Soorponakha sees Lord Rama and gets attracted to her. She approaches the Lord and while introducing herself uses the lasya technique of Bharatnatya to seduce. Here lies the intelligence of the choreographer to suit the interpretation of a character.

Aesthetically, the use of light by Venkatesh to demonstrate Ravana's quick transformation into a Brahmana really deserves a sounding applause.

The movements of the dancer actor is always under a tenacious control and when the same is executed with diligence, it evokes the apposite rasa. Ravana assumes his true form and enraged by Sita's obdurate resistance tears the piece of earth along with Sita. The rasa of the scene with the choreographers intelligent usage of the Ilakkiyattam (enacting a specific piece through the usage of mudras and expression without the lyrics being sung) of Kathakali with Jatayu trying to protect Sita by obstructing his route to Lanka, thereby fighting with his wings and ultimately culminating to death in the hands of cruel Ravana falling helplessly from the sky evoked tears in the eye of the connoisseur.

Rama while searching for Sita reaches the abode of Sabari , a devout oman of low birth, who receives them with great joy. Portrayal of the character using proper gait which is slow yet steady so congruous to Bharatnatya only, suited well with the character. Above all, the well-designed costume, the perfect hair do merged well with the climax of the scene with Sabari attaining moksha at the feet of Lord Rama. Here lies the appropriateness of the title “Sabari Moksham”.

Proper vocal support and the correct musical ensemble with quick change over of scenes, made it a much-admired performance.

PROBAL GUPTA

THE HINDU

25.12.2009

Presented with precision and verve

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN

KALAKSHETRA Dancing, costume, sets and lighting… every aspect of the Ramayana series of dance dramas deserved credit

POETIC MUDRAS: From Sri Rama Vanagamanam and Paduka Pattabhishekam.

What joy to hear K. Sai Shankar and K. Hariprasad sing splendidly, seamlessly, alternating voices for “Sita Swayamvaram”, the first of Kalakshetra's Ramayana series. Every word rang clear, every phrase composed by Mysore Vasudavachar was soaked with feeling, in raga-ripe verse and viruttam, empowering the dancers every step of the way. Highlighting the composer's excellence in swara-jati blends, they also explored the scope he offers for manodharma.

This “Sita Swayamvaram” belonged to P.T. Narendran. From the moment Viswamitra enters Dasaratha's court to demand Prince Rama to defend his forest rituals from the demons, Narendran was all commanding presence and quicksilver responses, his abhinaya moving from fury to reluctant compliance, flowing from an assured grasp of the idiom and secure internalisation of character.

Rukmini Devi depicts Viswamitra not only as an imperious yogi, but as a paternal mentor to Rama and Lakshmana, guiding them to Mithila. Flowing with ragamalika magic, the sage became a rasika, his poetic mudras pointing out the wonders of Nature to the young princes. Humour had full play as he reeled back from the dizzy mountain heights, sprang away from a supine serpent or teased the excitable Lakshmana. The trio brought the forest to life, throbbing with roars, birdcalls and scents.

Action shifts to the harried city in the contest to win Sita – Janaka wanting the best groom, the competing kings envious and Sita fearing Rama's failure to win her. Red-robed Ravana seated in sole majesty (according to Ananda Ramayanam), creates terror by his mere presence. Utilising Gambhira Nattai's resonance, Sheejith Krishna's Ravana balanced the magnificence of Kathakali's stylised movements in bragging his might, with a kaleidoscope of feelings after his failure -- disbelief, shame, humiliation, rage, disgust…

Insights into the darker side of the human psyche were tellingly drawn by Manthara (Shaly Vijayan) and Kaikeyi (Ganga Thampi) in “Srirama Vanagamanam”, as the humpbacked maid beguiles the queen to forsake her innate nobility for fear of losing her prime status. Swaras and jatis turned dialogue into a drama of shifts and contrasts, ending with a silhouetted Manthara watching the queen's split mind engaged in spot-lit debate. No match for her mulishness was poor Dasaratha (Sheejith Krishna), played with a decrepitude that made him appear paternal instead of the doting spouse to his favourite wife, and lose dimensions in monochromatic grief.

It is difficult to make unblemished virtue appealing, but Narendran playing Rama this time, invested the hero with both moral strength and tenderness – pleading with Kaikeyi to tell him why his father was sorrow-stricken, or begging Sita not to share his exile.

Rich ground

Of the first three parts, “Paduka Pattabhishekam” offered the richest ground for the navarasas. The cast had only to follow the evocative music and choreography to recreate an amazing range of visuals and bhava, which they did for the most part. Haripadman depicted Bharata's anger-steeped sorrow and Ramabhakti with sincerity. As folk kolattam replaced courtly tillanas, Sheejith Krishna's Guhan blended a chieftain's authority with devotion to the liege lord. The challenging segments of sheer meditation – Guhan's tribe worshipping the Ganga in the exquisite Khambodi-drenched opening scene, or in the evening riverside prayers by Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, came through convincingly. The mere drinking of the Ganga's water or anointing heads with sap from the banyan tree became purifying rituals.

The audience revelled in “Paduka's..” choreographic marvels. The simplest movements and mood lighting created the illusion of a boatride across the river. Ragas Latangi and Naganandini imaged the mountain slopes as much as the angika abhinaya and the sweeping eye movements. A breathtaking visual had dancing kinnaras flashing in and out at the topmost peak.

The moving finale saw the four brothers united in mourning their father, and Bharata urging Rama to return home. The entire cast was on stage, enveloped by lilting Kalyani and praising Rama's inviolable ideals, universally relevant through the rolling ages.

Haripadman (Bharata) etched the sincerity that the role demanded, in righteous anger and pathos. Narendran as Rama united dignity with bhava, sparkling in sringara interludes, melting in fraternal love, majestic in his commitment to truth. Lakshmana (Sibi Sudarsan) showed spiritedness. As always in Kalakshetra, the costumes and sets were a treat to the eye. So was the caring lighting design. The young cast impressed with nritta. The group formations, special to Kalakshetra productions, emerged with precision and verve.

Casting newcomers with seasoned artistes, though a welcome trend, resulted in notable unevenness. Breathing adolescent simplicity, the first Rama (Shyamjitkiran), Lakshmana (Sreenath) and Sita (Savita) as also her sakhis, playing the age of innocence, impacted well. The next two Sitas could not get beyond the sweet smile. Other youngsters showed that they have a long way to go in grasping intent and credibility in interaction. Whether Dasaratha, Janaka, Kausalya, Ahalya or a nameless attendant, they could not get far on rehearsed movements alone, without inscaping the essence of character and bhava in one of the world's greatest dhvani kavyas.

The vocal blend in “Vanagamanam” (K. Hariprasad, Shyama) remained patchy and uneasy, the feminine shrillness ironing out the range of moods essential to the production. “Paduka” fared better (K. Sai Shankar, S. Murali), though the voice shifts lacked flow and continuity. Jyotsana Menon and Nirmala Nagaraj (nattuvangam) had confidence, while K.P. Anil Kumar (mridangam), V. Srinivasan (violin), T. Sashidhar (flute) and Rijesh (maddalam) contributed their own binding spells every day.

THE HINDU

27.08.2010

Class apart

P. SURYA RAO

Kalakshetra Foundation gave a superb performance.

Stellar show Students impress in ‘Jatayu Moksham'.

Whether it is dance, music, costumes, abhinayam or coordination of movements, the famous Kalakshetra Foundation of Chennai put on a superb show of ballet craft for the Mummaneni Subbarao Sidhardha Kalapeetham , a premier cultural body in Vijayawada city. The ballet presented was Jatayu Moksham, an episode from Valmiki Ramayanam, produced by Rukmini Arundale and set to music by Mysore Vasudevacharya, both legendary figures in their own rights. Actual Sanskrit slokas written by Sage Valmiki were used throughout.

The story began with the scene where Rama, Lakshmana and Sita begin their Aranya vasam. After entering the forest they encounter Jatayu who tells them that he was a friend of King Dasaratha. Rama, Lakshmana and Sita offer pranams to him and proceed. Ravana's sister Soorpanakha approaches Rama and makes amorous advances towards Rama. Rama refuses her and orders Lakshmana to punish her and the enraged Lakshmana cuts off Soorpanakha's ears and nose. On hearing this Ravana in Lanka becomes furious and arriving at the Parnasala in the garb of a sage, kidnaps Sita to take her to Lanka. On the way Jatayu sees this and tries to obstruct Ravana. In the battle that follows Ravana cuts off the wings of Jatayu. Thought in misery, Jatayu waits for Rama to arrive and after informing him that Ravana took Sita to Lanka, dies at the feet of Rama who bestows Moksha on him. In between, there was the scene of Maricha who appears in the form of a golden deer to tempt Sita.

All the scenes were superbly enacted by Kalakshetra's well trained and disciplined cast. Excellent performances came from P. Jayakrishnan (Jatayu), P.T. Narendran (Rama), Srinath (Lakshmana), Revathi, Satyapriya, Ramya (Sita), Nirmala (Soorpanakha), S. Krishna (Ravana) and Haripadman (sanyasi Ravana). Other artistes Subhashini and Nisanti also gave fine performance.

The vocal support of Sai Shanker and nattuvangam by Jyotsna were of high standard. Good instrumental support came from Anil Kumar (mridangam), Anantanarayanan (veena) and Sasidhar (flute)

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

CHENNAI, September 23, 2010

East-West meet onstage

K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN

Taintless love wins finally - at the Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival

PSYCHE - T. Narendran and Viraja as Madanan and Sushama. staged at the Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival.

Kalakshetra's five-day Kathakali festival combined innovation and tradition by adapting western plays.

Over the past four to five decades, experiments have been made by several celebrated poets and scholars (including the late poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon) to compose new repertoires in Kathakali – which are based on Indian epics, western classics and on historical personalities and the total number roughly comes to about 200.

Except ‘Karnasapadam,' the debut of most of the stories was also its last performance. One reason for this was the diffidence of the aficionados in accepting new plays.

‘Karnasapadam,' which was written and composed by the late Mali V. Madhavan Nair in 1965, premiered in Delhi, on April 10, 1966. It was presented by the International Kathakali Centre.

Of late, attempts have been made to stage western plays through Kathakali including by foreigners such as Richard Tremblay (‘The Iliad') and David Macruvy (‘King Lear').

In this backdrop, it was interesting to watch the first ever Kathakali festival of western plays conducted recently at Kalakshetra, Chennai, once known for vibrant Kathakali training by thespians such as Gurus Chandu and Ambu Panicker.

Additionally, the festival was more or less a stock-taking of the aesthetics of the art and a brain-storming analysis about how innovations within tradition can be made successful. Like most Kathakali repertoires, the plays also culminate in either a death or a wedding.

The festival began with a brief but traditional kelikottu (playing of drums, gong and cymbals to formally announce a Kathakali performance) at the entrance of the theatre. The Kalakshetra artistes presented ‘Psyche,'(meaning soul) titled as ‘Sushama.' It was composed and choreographed by Sadanam Balakrishnan and grippingly unveiled the story of how love and soul joined together. The new dance patterns in group movements, which were confined to the Kathakali format were appealing. The play progressed gently from the purappadu (introduction in pure dance) with eight dancers. This was the only Kathakali play that portrayed Kamadeva or the Cupid as a protagonist, and P.T. Narendran made the role vibrant.

Arresting soliloquy

The well-rehearsed Viraja made the soliloquy of Sushama, “What more tragedy can befall me when I am ready to embrace death, but I have been punished for a sin that I was not even aware of, ” arresting, aided by the music.

Sophocles' ‘Oedipus,' presented on the second day by Manjuthara, Mangod, Palakkad, and performed by some of the faculty members and alumni of the Kerala Kalamandalam, failed to make the grade. A relatively young Krishnakumar, a trainer at the Kalamandalam played Oedipus, but he blindly imitated veteran Kalamandalam Gopi, known for punctuating the abhinaya with poses. He not only slowed the pace of the play but even confused the curtain-holders, who were unsure about when to end the scene. He also made mistakes in his kalashams (the dance sequence between the verses and at the end of a song). In the wedding sequence, the modern style of bouquet exchange between Oedipus and Jocasta was difficult to accept as Kathakali is known for its austerity.

Nevertheless, the performance by seasoned actors Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan in the role of the half-man, half-lion Sphinx and Kalamandalam Soman as Creon, the minister, were bright and apt. Unfortunately, Creon was carelessly dressed in Kathi (knife type), although this fine character depicted in the attakkatha (Kathakali repertoire) possesses little rajo guna (arrogant and evil with a streak of valour).

So it was not a surprise that no mention was made of its director or choreographer. The next play was a neat presentation of Pierre Corneille's tragicomedy ‘Le Cid,' based on the legend of El Cid and re-named ‘Maharati,' by the Kalakshetra ensemble under the leadership of Sadanam Balakrishnan.

The plot pivoted on Don Rodrigue, his father Don Diegue, his girl friend Chimene and her father De Gormas. The lovers faced a crisis when Diegue was insulted by Gormas. Then at his father's request, Don Rodrigue killed Gormas. Despite her love for Rodrigue, Chimene initially wanted revenge… but finally taintless love won.

THE HINDU

NEW DELHI, November 4, 2010

Woodland spirits

LEELA VENKATARAMAN

Performances at the recent IIC festival in New Delhi focused on the theme of the forest.

With the annual weeklong IIC Experience in New Delhi celebrating the theme of the forest, its integrated approach featuring folk songs and dances, classical arts, jungle stories for children, films, exhibitions, and even food, pertained to flora, fauna and culture, focusing on how forests have nurtured and sustained animal and organic life on this planet and fashioned lifestyles.

Aranyani presented by the Tiruvanmayur Kalakshetra troupe gave glimpses of late Rukmini Devi's creativity, fired by Valmiki's Ramayana muse, and the great Mysore Vasudevachariyar's music — the six-part Ramayana being her magnum opus production. The first scene pertained to young Rama and Lakshmana being introduced to the scenic magnificence of the forest by sage Viswamitra, visualising life round the Pampa Sarovar with Chakravaka, Karounch and Sarasa cranes and humming bees drunk on honey from tree blossoms. Amazing how mimetic gestures sufficed to build up in the audience mind's eye the entire forest.

The next part was from Rama's banishment period, when the brothers with Sita cross the Ganga in a boat. The simplicity in Rukmini Devi's choreography, visualising mighty mountains and rivers, stood out, with the human touches like Rama applying henna on Sita's hands and decorating her hair with forest flowers or caringly tending to Lakshmana's hair underlining the tender Rama/Sita relationship and sibling love. Heightened rhythmic Kinnara dance, the panchapsaras, and the Kuchi dance scene counterpointed the Chitakuta serenity. The stylised perfection of the dance was of a piece with the music (on tape) highlighting the word clarity along with classical melody, and the way the individual instruments used at varying points evoked special emotional throb. And what resonant mridangam clarity!

Tonally different, the second part comprised a scene from Kannappar Kuravanji — the Devaratti's (soothsayer's) prediction about Thinappar the son of Nagarajan the tribal king soon being crowned King, being in accordance with the Chief's plans. After the coronation formalities, Thinappar ceremonially presented the sword by Nagarajan, sets off on his maiden hunt. The folksy ditties in the score by Papanasam Sivan (composed as early as 1962) have a different ring. In a uniformly proficient dancer group, making a deep impression with their versatility were P.T. Narendran switching from Rama to Nagaraja in the second part, and Haripadman who after the benignly authoritative Viswamitra, takes on the role of Thinappar.

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

February 4, 2011

Masterly moves

‘Nritya Sangam-Festival of Dance' in Kochi showcased the richness of Indian classical dances.

‘Nritya Sangam-Festival of Dance,' a four-day programme organised by Central Sangeet Natak Academy and Kerala Fine Arts Society in Kochi, was a mega event that featured 12 talented dancers. Despite the presence of at least three dancers on a day, it did not turn out to be a superficial show. Each dancer got almost an hour to present as many as three to four items.

The first day opened with a dazzling Odissi performance by Swaroopa Sen. In ‘Rituvasanth' and a piece on the goddess, the danseuse explored the possibilities of the dance form and its typical ‘tribhanga' pose. If her abhinaya was subtle, her body language was vibrant and dynamic.

P.T. Narendran showcased the purity and precision of the ‘Kalakshetra style' in his Bharatanatyam performance. The imagery was striking in his depiction of Shiva's procession for his marriage to Sati in ‘Kumarasambhavam.'

In terms of her style of dance, Madhuri Deshmukh's performance bore much resemblance to that of her mentor Kanak Rele. Her Mohiniyattam performance was more vibrant compared to the subdued feminine approach taken by most other dancers of the style. She portrayed Dr. Rele's magnum opus ‘Ashtanayika,' with clarity and verve.

Excellent footwork

Sattriya, a dance form that is still evolving, is sophisticated in its footwork, abhinaya and repertoire. This was demonstrated in pure dance items such as ‘Ramdani' performed by Anvesha Mahanta on the second day. In ‘Rukmini Katha,' the dancer depicted Rukmini explaining why she was keen on marrying Krishna by narrating stories about Krishna's chivalry and devotion towards his devotees. The dancer portrayed Rukmini narrating how Krishna rushed to Draupadi's rescue when Dushasana attempted to disrobe her, and also the incident of Gajendra Moksha, with high drama.

Amrita Lahiri in her Kuchipudi recital performed a ‘Durga Tharangam,' different from a ‘Tharangam' on Krishna, which is the norm. Her movements had the influence of Bharatanatyam, in an otherwise chaste and perfect performance.

Kathak dancer Parveen Gangani impressed with his neat footwork in ‘Upaj,' and his improvised exchanges with the tabla player.

On the third day, Rajkumari Sushila Devi presented an Ashtapadi in Manipuri style. The poignant nayika came alive to the passionate vibrato vocals of Sanahati Devi. Her team presented ‘Vasanth Raas' with Krishna and the gopis. The ambience of Holi was heightened with splendid costumes and dramatic lighting.

Odissi danseuse Meera Das charmed the audience with her rapid footwork and exact movements in ‘Sarvamangala Mangalye,' an invocation to the goddess.

Kalamandalam Hymavathi was the only dancer from Kerala who performed at the festival. In the Mohiniyattam varnam on the story of Usha and Anirudha, Hymavathi essayed the different moods of the nayika.

Gopal Prasad Dubey depicted with aplomb the Sun god's procession in his seven-horse chariot in ‘Chandrabhaga.' This traced the tragic story of the moon princess in the Sarkella Chau style of dance on the final day of the festival. The masked dancers' synchronised movements with the drum beats of the ‘dhol' players were remarkable.

Malti Shyam's impeccable artistry over Kathak was displayed in her flawless improvisation of teen taal. Narthaki Nataraj impressed rasikas with her amazing stage presence when she danced to Dikshithar's ‘Maragathalingam.' The striking poses, abhinaya and a couple of karanas executed with artful balance and style were noteworthy. The festival was held at Kerala Fine Arts Society Auditorium.

THE HINDU

September 29, 2011

Plenty of poignant moments

RUPA SRIKANTH

Keechaka Vadham Photo : N. Sridharan

Kalakshetra’s third annual Kathakali Festival, ‘Bhaava Bhaavanam-Raajasam’, presented well-known ‘katti veshams’ from the traditional repertoire. The romantic, courageous and aggressive anti-heroes from the Puranas such as Ravana, Duryodhana, Keechaka and Narakasura who represent ‘rajas’ attributes, took centre stage in the intimate space of Rukmini Arangam. For three hours every day, mythological stories came alive through descriptive screenplay, bhava-laden music and some brilliant portrayals. Projecting the synopsis of each scene during the performance made them more accessible to a wider audience.

‘Rajasam,’ curated by Asan Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan, Head of Department of Kathakali at Kalakshetra, was dedicated to the memory of Sankara Menon, a stalwart of the institution. It commenced with Bali Vijayam starring Kalamandalam Krishna Kumar as Ravana and closed with a special five-hour dance-theatre production, ‘Narakasura Vadham’ with senior artist Kottakkal Keshavan Kundalayaar in the lead.

Kathakali combines acting, gestures, music, movement and percussion, but theatrics is its mainstay. More important than the story itself are the asides that spice up the performance. It is these details that define the success of the performance. ‘Uttara Swayamvaram’ opened with a romantic padam, ‘Kalyani Kanka Mamavallabhe’ in which Duryodana (Injakkad Ramachandran Pillai) tells his wife Bhanumathi (Kalamandalam Sucheendran) that the Chakravakam bird mistakes her beautiful face for the moon and dreading separation from its mate at moonrise, looks angrily at her while casting mournful eyes on its mate. It was such a beautiful moment, with the actor changing expressions deftly as he looked from side to side. The technique is called ‘ekalochanam.’

But the play belonged to Nelliyodu Vasudevan Namboodri, who portrayed Susarma, King of Trigartha, with comic spontaneity. His adventures in the Virata kingdom where he is sent to steal cattle and his mocking of Bhima who is disguised as a cook, was beyond technique, beyond an actor’s communication ability. It was a brilliant essay. Underlining the dramatic moments with telling sound effects were Raman Namboodri (chenda) and Kalanilayam Rajan (maddalam). Streevesham by Sucheendran was dignified. The full-throated music by Kalamandalam Rajesh Menon and Kottakal Narayanan soared in the air, only to be punctured by their ill-timed forays.

The suggestive and subtle acting technique of P. V. Balakrishnan (Keechaka) and the unmatched melody of Kottakal Madhu and Kalamandalam Rajesh Menon (vocal) dominated ‘Keechaka Vadham.’ The three-hour play that dealt with Keechaka’s lust that ultimately leads to his death, had a star-studded cast with Leela Samson (Sairandri), P.T. Narendran (Valala) and Viraja (Sudeshana).

For over two and a half hours, Keechaka’s presence filled the stage as he falls in love at first sight and proceeds to woo Sairandri initially with sweet words and later with quiet desperation. ‘Harinakshi’ (Khambodi) that lasted for about 30 minutes, was simply unforgettable. Sairandri is sent by the queen to Keechaka’s house on a false pretext, and if you stepped back from Sairandri’s uncomfortable situation, you would appreciate the tenderness conveyed by the music and the acting.

The sophistication of the dance-theatre style comes from the fact that most of the scenes have soliloquies, and even in case of a conversation, the supporting artist maintains a silent yet participative presence. Leela was one such supporting artist, who made her unease and disgust plain in timely outbursts.

The tryst in the dance hall where Valala is lying in wait to pounce on Keechaka, ended with the gory death of the latter. One would think that the percussionists would reach a crescendo, but no, the slow unveil and the struggle were both enacted in relative silence with the chenda reflecting the last breaths of Keechaka with telling softness. The sensitive percussionists were Kottakal Ravi and Kalanilayam Kunjunni. Narendra as Valala exhibited strength, anger and energy.

‘Ravanodbhavam’ was a different cup of tea for many reasons -- it was sans music for the most part, the principal actor performed multiple roles and its main body was a reminiscence scene (Thapasattam). Kalanilayam Balakrishnan as Ravana showed his prowess as a mature actor straddling both the past and the present and as a rigorous dancer who performed with seven percussionists. It was naturally a more factual presentation, especially the details concerning Ravana’s penance.

The proud and arrogant Ravana recounts the events past that lead to his penance. In a flash, the actor becomes a doting mother Kaikasi fondling baby Ravana on her lap with affection. She sees Vaisravana go by in a pompous aerial chariot and feels bad for her own impoverished offspring. Until the chariot goes out of sight, Kaikasi keeps looking up at it with anger and jealousy and down at the baby with pity. The other interesting scene was when Ravana questions his brothers about the boons they received from Brahma.

Ravana started on an arrogant note, and covered disbelief, anger, mockery and resignation all in minutes.

The untiring percussionists were Kalanilayam Prakashan, Sadanam Devadas, Sadanam Ramakrishnan and Kalanilayam Kunjunni. The vocalists who also played the gong and the cymbals were Sadanam Sivadasan and Sadanam Jyothishbabu.

narthaki.com

24. January 2012

No other dance form can match Kathakali when it comes to costumes and decoration which itself is enough to be the cynosure of all eyes. The Kathakali recital on Jan 12 by Sadanam Balakrishnan and PT Narendran was of high caliber and their excellent expressions had the audience watch in pin drop silence. If face is said to be the index of the mind then Guru Balakrishnan had the index of an encyclopedia in his face. A whole range of subtle expressions were conveyed in such superb ways. The orchestra made the optimum use of ragas to bring out the many splendors of Kathakali.

Photo PT Narendran & Sadanam Balakrishnan

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

May 2, 2013

Beyond performance

VATSALA VEDANTA

Mere technical prowess is not enough in any art, says Narendran. Special Arrangement Mere technical prowess is not enough in any art, says Narendran.

Unfazed by criticism and unspoilt by adulation, P.T. Narendran strides the dance scene with grace and finesse

The year was 1993. The venue, Chowdiah Memorial Hall, where Kalakshetra was premiering the magnificant “Siri Purandhara” scripted in true Mysore Vasudevacharya style. Time stood still as the ballet on the life story of the saint poet unfolded. All eyes focussed on one figure. It was an as yet unknown dancer who portrayed the young Purandhara before his transformation. The emotions he evoked – pride, arrogance, greed, contempt and sudden repentance – carried the audience back centuries to a temple town near Hampi where Navakoti Narayana, a brazen millionaire, reigned supreme. This was before his transformation into the great Purandhara Dasa.

PT Narendran played the role to perfection. His very entry on the stage conveyed the youthful arrogance of a man intoxicated with the power of money, which slowly gave way to repentance and realisation. Through the fine distinctions between rhythm and emotion, the dancer managed to convey an entire persona to the audience that night. That is how I first met Narendran, who has travelled a long way since, with his eclectic performances captivating audiences across the globe. Narendran is much more than a mere globe trotter. From Europe to Australia to South Africa to Reunion Island, in dance genres that vary from traditional, contemporary to modern ballet, in roles as varied as dancer, teacher, choreographer and director, he has charmed audiences with his wide repertoire of art forms that include Bharatanatya, Kathakali, Odissi, Chhau, Afro-Cuban dance, classical ballet, contemporary ballet, yoga, mime, shadow puppetry, storytelling…….the list is endless.

But, no matter where he performs or what his theme, he is a classicist who does not believe in jeopardising his traditional art. When asked whether his own dance form will not be compromised in the process, Narendran exclaims indignantly: “In my dance, there is no fusion – or confusion!”

It is pure Bharatanatya all the way, whether he performs for an orphanage in Italy or a church in Germany or a theatre festival in Switzerland. The artist in him is always open to fine-tuning his art to project varied themes. It may be another Ramayana in Reunion Island, an Ashokavanam in Melbourne or a Thandava in Singapore. If he finds the theme appealing, with a slice of his own genre of dance enhancing its beauty, this versatile dancer has no problem in lending his expertise.

“I want to bring up other dance forms,” he says. And adds: “Why compromise mine?” No wonder producers and directors of several theatre productions abroad have sought his expertise in choreography. If Narendran has collaborated with the renowned Rudra Bejart Ballet and even performed in one of their productions, the young dancer from Kalakshetra has indeed arrived. The 11-year-old boy who travelled from Pangathody in Kerala to learn from the legendary Rukmini Devi in Kalakshetra has become one of the most sought after choreographers today. His lecture demonstrations in reputed universities, his workshops in different countries, added to his own dance productions, have brought him many laurels. But, this scion of a traditional family of folk dancers, remains unspoilt. Nor does he fail to remember where he came from. His celebrity status notwithstanding, he recalls his childhood with its meagre morning meal of puffed rice (“like what Sudhama gave Krishna”) and the Rs. 8 evening meal, after which “I was ready to go out and dance forever!”

Perhaps, it is this utter lack of self-importance that makes Narendran a true artist. Unfazed by criticism and unspoilt by adulation, he strides the dance scene with grace and finesse. A teacher who is much sought after too, he finds time to train a 19 year old Downs Syndrome patient in Perth because “dance may heal her condition.”

Watching Narendran perform this evening in the rare ambience of the ISKCON temple, I think I glimpsed the secret of his art. Earlier in the day, he had said: “Mere technical prowess is not enough in any art, unless your soul is in it.” When this artist dances, you no longer notice the footwork, the symmetry or the body language. You do not even see the bhava or abhinaya that he executes so flawlessly. You forget the dancer performing on the stage. You are seeing Rama weeping over Sita’s jewels. Or, Purandhara protesting his innocence in a temple. The dancer in him gets into the role he plays with such total abandon that he ceases to be a mere performer. He becomes that which he is portraying. It may be mythology, a scripture or just a story born in a writer’s mind.

The art of PT Narendran cannot be taught. It is simply a state of being. An indefinable something that happens when he steps into the spotlight. Something that would have made even Rukmini Devi brush a tear from her eye to realise that her temple of art was not built in vain.

Ipoh Echo

Sharanagati – Absolute Surrender

August 16, 2013 Arts & Culture Indian classical dance, ipoh echo issue 172, Ipoh Fine Arts Society

A night of wonder and beauty in motion. Listening to the crystal clear vocals of O.S. Arun along with his team of live music accompaniments was a rare treat indeed.

When the lights dimmed, the audience excitedly waited with bated breath for the performance to begin. Sukanya Venugopal’s very expressive narration in English, only heightened the anticipation and was a welcomed inclusion, for those, who otherwise, may not have been able to understand or fully absorb the beauty of the night’s performance.

The original choreography by P.T. Narendran, Leena Mohanty, O.S. Arun and Dheeraj Kumar Mohapatra gave the audience both a visual and aural feast as the dancers demonstrated their artistic talents in an engaging and playful manner. So encapsulating was the performance that everyone stayed glued to their seats in rapt attention, applauding enthusiastically. Even children attending the occasion were on their best behaviour, which is rather unusual for a local audience. This fact alone, speaks volumes for the night’s performance.

Exploring the beautiful Indian philosophical concept through the unique confluence of classical dance and music styles of Odissi and Bharatanatyam, the dancers drew the audience into their world of majestic traditions, grace and beauty. The lighting cast artful shadows of the dancers off the surrounding walls of the auditorium, and this further added to the surreal feeling, as the intricacy of each movement was skilfully executed. The gifted voice of O.S. Arun with its mellifluous, sonorous and fluent textures, made it possible for the audience to enjoy listening to a breathtaking range of pure and pristine melodic compositions. Such was the characteristic of his musical expressions that the audience didn’t really want to leave their seats, even during the short intermission.

The excitement just kept building upon itself right up to the end, which featured a magnificent final performance that truly merited a standing ovation.

With such world class performances, brought to the people of Ipoh, the Ipoh Fine Arts Society (IFAS) hopes that the rich traditions of the performing arts will inspire and encourage its young to be part of this rich heritage of traditional music and dance art forms. The IFAS is dedicated to encouraging and supporting artistes of the performing arts by covering a broad spectrum of classical, folk and contemporary arts, while striving to preserve the integrity of traditional dance and music in the community. Tapping into this jewel of diverse art forms, IFAS work tirelessly to help establish a vibrant rapport with the artistic community through its music workshops and cultural programs.

If the support shown is anything to go by, the people of Ipoh are ready and willing to be a part of this awesome journey.

THE HINDU

February 4, 2011

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

Masterly moves

‘Nritya Sangam-Festival of Dance' in Kochi showcased the richness of Indian classical dances.

‘Nritya Sangam-Festival of Dance,' a four-day programme organised by Central Sangeet Natak Academy and Kerala Fine Arts Society in Kochi, was a mega event that featured 12 talented dancers. Despite the presence of at least three dancers on a day, it did not turn out to be a superficial show. Each dancer got almost an hour to present as many as three to four items.

The first day opened with a dazzling Odissi performance by Swaroopa Sen. In ‘Rituvasanth' and a piece on the goddess, the danseuse explored the possibilities of the dance form and its typical ‘tribhanga' pose. If her abhinaya was subtle, her body language was vibrant and dynamic.

P.T. Narendran showcased the purity and precision of the ‘Kalakshetra style' in his Bharatanatyam performance. The imagery was striking in his depiction of Shiva's procession for his marriage to Sati in ‘Kumarasambhavam.'

In terms of her style of dance, Madhuri Deshmukh's performance bore much resemblance to that of her mentor Kanak Rele. Her Mohiniyattam performance was more vibrant compared to the subdued feminine approach taken by most other dancers of the style. She portrayed Dr. Rele's magnum opus ‘Ashtanayika,' with clarity and verve.

Excellent footwork

Sattriya, a dance form that is still evolving, is sophisticated in its footwork, abhinaya and repertoire. This was demonstrated in pure dance items such as ‘Ramdani' performed by Anvesha Mahanta on the second day. In ‘Rukmini Katha,' the dancer depicted Rukmini explaining why she was keen on marrying Krishna by narrating stories about Krishna's chivalry and devotion towards his devotees. The dancer portrayed Rukmini narrating how Krishna rushed to Draupadi's rescue when Dushasana attempted to disrobe her, and also the incident of Gajendra Moksha, with high drama.

Amrita Lahiri in her Kuchipudi recital performed a ‘Durga Tharangam,' different from a ‘Tharangam' on Krishna, which is the norm. Her movements had the influence of Bharatanatyam, in an otherwise chaste and perfect performance.

Kathak dancer Parveen Gangani impressed with his neat footwork in ‘Upaj,' and his improvised exchanges with the tabla player.

On the third day, Rajkumari Sushila Devi presented an Ashtapadi in Manipuri style. The poignant nayika came alive to the passionate vibrato vocals of Sanahati Devi. Her team presented ‘Vasanth Raas' with Krishna and the gopis. The ambience of Holi was heightened with splendid costumes and dramatic lighting.

Odissi danseuse Meera Das charmed the audience with her rapid footwork and exact movements in ‘Sarvamangala Mangalye,' an invocation to the goddess.

Kalamandalam Hymavathi was the only dancer from Kerala who performed at the festival. In the Mohiniyattam varnam on the story of Usha and Anirudha, Hymavathi essayed the different moods of the nayika.

Gopal Prasad Dubey depicted with aplomb the Sun god's procession in his seven-horse chariot in ‘Chandrabhaga.' This traced the tragic story of the moon princess in the Sarkella Chau style of dance on the final day of the festival. The masked dancers' synchronised movements with the drum beats of the ‘dhol' players were remarkable.

Malti Shyam's impeccable artistry over Kathak was displayed in her flawless improvisation of teen taal. Narthaki Nataraj impressed rasikas with her amazing stage presence when she danced to Dikshithar's ‘Maragathalingam.' The striking poses, abhinaya and a couple of karanas executed with artful balance and style were noteworthy. The festival was held at Kerala Fine Arts Society Auditorium.

Sruti Magazine

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

By Raushan Smakova

International Dance Day was celebrated in a unique way in Kazakhstan with the participation of three generations of Bharatanatyam dancers. The concerts took place on 6th and 9th April at the Kazakh concert hall in Almaty and the Tilep Kobyz Palace Concert all in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan respectively. Both the performances were supported by the Embassy of the Republic of India in Kazakhstan and UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office.

The project Guru-Sishya was launched by Akmaral Kainazarova, founder and choreographer of the Centre of the Indian classical Dance in Almaty. It was a feast to watch P.T. Narendran performing with his disciple Akmaral and also with twenty of her students. The audience marvelled at the harmonious presentation of guru and sishyas of three generations. As a critic I was curious to find the difference between local dancers and the dancer from India, but to my surprise the Kazakh performers of Bharatanatyam did full justice to the performance. It was evident that they had imbibed the stylise and beauty of Bharatanatyam from their guru.

The programme included classical dances like Bharatanatyam and Kathak, folk dances of India, and fusion of Kazakh and Indian dance. The performances underlined the aim of International Dance Day to uplift and celebrate the ability of this art form to cut across cultural and geographical borders, to bring people together through the language of dance.

Akmaral Kainazarova, director and choreographer of the Centre of Indian Classical Dance, Almaty, was the first to take Bharatanatyam to Kazakhstan. In 2006, she established the Centre for the study of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Carnatic music for beginners, traditional Indian Yoga, Hindi language, and Bollywood dance. The ages of the students range from 6 to 60. The work of the Centre is supported by the Embassy of India in Astana and ICCR in New Delhi.

In 1998 Akmaral completed her Diploma in Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam at Kalakshetra. She holds an M.A degree in Bharatanatyam from Madras University and Post-Graduate Diploma for Yoga Therapy from Sanskrit Department, Madras University, Chennai. She has won many awards such as “Madeniet Kairatkeri” (Representative of Culture) for popularising Indian classical dance in Kazakhstan, and “Champion of the World 2003” for Bharatanatyam performance in the 7th World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, U.S.A. Akmaral is also an empanelled artist of ICCR in New Delhi.

The programmes at Almaty and Astana were attended by diplomats, professors of the Academy of Arts, Eurasian National University named after Gumilyev and other universities, intellectuals, dance choreographers and art lovers. The theatre in both cities was full and the dancers got a standing ovation. The Indian Ambassador in Kazakhstan, Ashok Kumar Sharma, congratulated the participants and thanked P.T. Narendran for presenting the classical art of India in Kazakhstan.

Posted by Sruti Magazine at Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Deccan Herald

A Journey With Natyam

08 Nov 2014

Bound by dance An ardent devotee of Swami Vivekananda, his father named him Narendran. Also a scion of traditional dancers in Kerala, he initiated him into the art at the age of six. When he failed painfully in his first public performance, Narendran was sent away to distant Kalakshetra to learn the intricacies of Bharathanatyam and Kathakali from the legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale. The year was 1981 when the best of teachers in music and dance had assembled under the great banyan tree. Recalling those early years in that iconic institution, Narendran confesses that he was indifferent to dance, although he stood in the impossible araimandi pose for hours, just to win a chocolate! After graduating with distinction, Narendran taught in the same institution for 10 years before journeying abroad. It was a long road from Thiruvanmiyur to Lausanne in Switzerland, where he finally ended up as a dance teacher and choreographer in the Rudra Bejart ballet. According to Narendran, it was an experience of a lifetime to teach such incredibly gifted and talented students drawn from many countries. He also performed to 2,000-strong audiences with them all over Europe. Named after India's greatest cultural ambassador, this 21st century envoy has truly followed in his footsteps. He has carried his country's traditional arts across the globe. Learning years "It was unforgettable " he says. "I cherish every moment I spent in that school. Working with Maurice Bejart was a learning experience in itself. I gained artistically because he was the finest choreographer in the world and a refined human being." Dancer, teacher, choreographer, director - where does Narendran excel? "People say they like me as a dancer, but I like myself best as a teacher," says this one-of-a-kind artiste. Sharing his expertise, he has travelled from Hyderabad to Hamburg, Madras to Melbourne, teaching and training younger artistes in different genres of dance. They vary from traditional to contemporary, from Kathakali to Odissi, from Chhau to Afro-Cuban. He has displayed and taught skills in yoga, mime, storytelling and shadow puppetry to mesmerised audiences. Yet, despite this wide repertoire of dance forms, Narendran does not compromise the one in which he excels - the one dearest to his heart - Bharathanatyam in all its beauty and splendour. A dedicated teacher, he makes it all sound so easy. "It is like learning a language. You have alphabets that make a word. The words make sentences. The sentences make poetry. Dance is just like that. It is a body language that conveys thoughts, emotions, conversations that go to make events and stories." He reaches out to students in Europe or Australia or South Africa or Reunion Island. Perhaps, his greatest success as a dance teacher is in Perth where he teaches a 19-year-old Downs Syndrome patient to rehabilitate her. Narendran says that her progress is his greatest fulfillment as a teacher. "I showed her a complicated thillana once which she now executes with precision. That is because she dances from her heart to make it real art," he recalls with pride, adding "One must dance with absolute spontaneity; not be afraid of the audience, the critics or anything at all. One must dance with joy." Whether it is a lecture demonstration for professionals in Adelaide, or a workshop for psychotherapy students in Robindra Bharathi in Kolkata, this committed teacher convinces his pupils that dance is a great way to connect and heal. A classicist to the core, Narendran believes that mere proficiency and know-how does not make dance "unless your soul is in it". According to him, "Performing the steps 1-2-3-4 correctly, but with no emotion, becomes mere exercise, not art." Nuances of choreography As for choreography, he believes it cannot be taught. "It has to be experienced," he says. "You learn choreography by observation of the things around you. A cat walking on the roof or a deer leaping in the forest can teach you how to choreograph a dance." As a choreographer in high demand, this disciple of Rukmini Devi describes how he once composed a sequence in the Bhagavatham by idly watching a row of birds seated on a line. According to him, a good choreographer is a person who has the courage to take risks. Since creativity needs courage and perseverance, "You have to push yourself to excel." With 13 productions under his belt, and a new one where he will combine Bharathanatyam with Odissi - Narendran is a much sought after choreographer. His collaboration with one of the most professional dance schools in the world - the Rudra Bejart Ballet in Switzerland - on traditional and contemporary dance projects is perhaps the pinnacle of success for this child prodigy from Pangathody in Kerala, who woke up to a meagre meal of puffed rice and water, and who was named after a 20th century mystic by a dreaming parent. He has not failed either. "I am a contented dancer," he declares. "I don't seek performances, nor do I refuse an offer of one." You can see the love of the art as you watch Narendran dance. He does it with total abandon. Oblivious to his surroundings, he merges into whatever role he dons. When he is Rama, he is the maryada purusha. When he is Krishna, he becomes a navaneetha chora or a lilamaaya. When he is Purandhara, he wafts his audience to a temple in far off Hampi. Perhaps, it is this total involvement in his art that makes him an outstanding dancer. Oblivious to the adulation that surrounds him and unaffected by the spotlight in which he moves, P T Narendran treads today's dance scene with grace and humility. His art is best summed up in this dialogue that took place somewhere in Europe. After a dazzling piece, he asked the audience: "Did you understand the concept behind Shiva's thandavam?" A dazed spectator answered: "I don't care what you danced, or which language you spoke. All I know is I am transported somewhere!"

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW

November 27, 2015

A mother’s plight

V. KALADHARAN

Pallavi Krishnan’s new dance-drama explores the estrangement between Kunthiand herfirst-born, Karna.

Mohiniyattam dancer and choreographer Pallavi Krishnan’s latest creation is ‘Kunthi’, a dance-drama that encapsulates, in less than an hour and a half, the story of Karna, particularly the heart-rending encounter between Kunthi and her son. Since the story is immensely popular even as stage shows, Pallavi, who conceptualised the production and starred in the lead role, had a tough task saving it from the mundane. A deft treatment of the theme made the dance drama emotionally vibrant and technically remarkable. The choreographer successfully allotted more or less the same amount of time and space for dance and theatre during a performance at Model Regional Theatre, Thrissur.

The dance-drama’s opening scene carried enormous visual splendour with Pallavi making use of hand-gestures and body language of Mohiniyattam while her co-dancers revelled in the movement-vocabulary of Bharatanatyam. In the scene next, sage Durvasa with Kunthi at his service, was strikingly portrayed. As the story progressed, the irresistible desire of Kunthi to try out her boon with the Sun God, as she was embraced by the awakening rays, found eloquent expression. The blossoming of the lotus flower with the sunrise was a familiar yet refreshing metaphor that Pallavi brought in. The birth of Karna with kavacha-kundala and Kunthi’s affection giving way to her fear of ignominy glowed in Pallavi’s satwikabhinaya. The scene depicting the parting of Kunthi with the infant Karna was poignant.

From pathos, the mood shifted to ebullience with a group-dance effectively employing the angikabhinaya of Bharatanatyam. The dancers as Sakhis then announced the wedding of Kunthi to Paandu. The next scene portrayed charioteer Adhiradha and his wife, Radha, overcome with joy as they chanced upon the infant Karna in the river. The spectators were then treated to an enticing lullaby in raga Kurinji.

Preliminary preparations for the Kurukshetra battle and Karna equipping himself with weapons had the desired effect thanks to several sets of techniques adopted from Bharatanatyam. Karna’s worship of the Sun and Kunthi’s arrival were dramatic. While disclosing the secret of Karna’s parenthood, Pallavi exercised admirable restraint in the expressions of sorrow and remorse. Kunthi’s plea to Karna to stand for the Pandavas and Karna’s moral indignation appealed to the audience. The depiction of Karna confronting Arjuna and his imminent death were visually persuasive. The dance-drama concluded with Kunthi lamenting the demise of her heroic son.

Haripadman Kalakshetra, as the Sun God, appeared to be a little too gentle and subdued. P.T. Narendran as the luminous Karna retained the stature of the character throughout. With his proven skills as a Kathakali playwright, Kalamandalam Ganeshan could have improved the lyrical quality of the lines of ‘Kunthi’.

Palakkad Sooryanarayanan did a commendable job as the music-composer of the dance-drama. He applied the most appropriate ragas for each sequence accentuating the emotional contours of every situation. Even in the absence of live music, Kalamandalam Suprabha’s and Bhagyalakshmi’s fluent rendering of the padams in an emotion-soaked voice contributed considerably to characterisation. A bit too prolonged interludes between the scenes were the sole distraction in the entire presentation.

The production was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Le Mauricien

SPECTACLE : Un des princes du bharata natyam à Phoenix

4 DÉCEMBRE, 2015 - 06:00

P.T. Narendran connaît les scènes des différents continents, qu’il a visités grâce au bharata natyam. Danseur et chorégraphe émérite, il s’est réapproprié le ballet indien pour lui apporter d’autres éclats. Les 4 et 5 décembre, il se produira au IGCIC à Phoenix dans un spectacle qui réunira également une pléiade de musiciens mauriciens, pour une Blissful Journey.
De la danse et de la musique traditionnelles seront sur la scène de l’auditorium IGCIC de Phoenix à partir de 18h, les 4 et 5 décembre. Un voyage féerique à travers Blissful Journey, qui se fera en compagnie d’artistes de niveau international, dont des Mauriciens. Tout un spectacle monté autour d’un des plus grands danseurs et chorégraphes de bharata natyam, P.T. Narendran.
“La danse n’est pas simplement toute sa vie, il incarne lui-même la danse. Il semblerait que le dieu Nataraja lui ait personnellement insufflé l’amour et les dons de danseur. Il est le meilleur danseur de bharata natyam de sa génération et est un fantastique danseur de kathakali”, écrit à son sujet le journal indien The Hindu.
P.T. Narendran a dansé sur différents continents, sur des chorégraphies abordant différents thèmes : le Ramayana, la soumission, le cosmos, la mousson, la spiritualité, entre autres. Il a collaboré plusieurs fois avec des artistes du monde, dont le Théâtre Talipot de La Réunion, la troupe de ballet de Maurice Béjart, des danseurs afro-cubains, russes, suisses, anglais, africains et asiatiques.

Charisme.
“Narendran est une personnalité charismatique qui envoûte le public avec sa danse et qui lui permet d’élever son esprit et son âme dans des sphères supérieures. C’est un danseur hautement qualifié, qui a des mouvements précis et des expressions faciales adaptées.” Sur scène, le danseur fait preuve d’un vrai charisme. Cela lui a valu plusieurs récompenses au fil de sa carrière. Certaines de ses scènes sont considérées comme des références. Narendran a aussi une grande connaissance musicale et a le sens du rythme. Il a composé et enregistré plus de 80 morceaux dédiés au bharata natyam.
Ce sont de talentueux musiciens mauriciens qui seront aussi sur la scène du IGCIC dans le cadre de Blissful Journey. Parmi les musiciens classiques : Mayeven Murden, Rajesh Marday, Dhisylen Murugesan, Nishal Boojhawon, ou encore Nel Buctowar, Krichen Chetty et Ramakrishna Mootoosamy.

QNET

MAHAMAYA dance recital enthralls crowd

News • Mar 21, 2016 14:45 SGT

MAHAMAYA, a combination of exquisite traditional Indian Bharata Natyam and Odissi styles, featuring Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran and Nritta Ganeshi drew spectacular response from the two-days of full house audience who were treated to 120 minutes of rare classical performances.

Vijayaratnam Foundation, in collaboration with Kalpana Dance Theatre, presented MAHAMAYA, to raise funds for Taarana, a School for children with special learning needs.

Datin Sri Umayal, who is also the Chairperson of Vijayaratnam Foundation, presented Bharata Natyam in her rare, mature and dignified style. Vivacious facial expressions and crisp foot work being her hall mark while Nritta Ganeshi illuminated the stage with her grace and radiance through the soft and pristine style of Odissi.

Staged at Kompleks Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah in USJ 1, Subang Jaya, MAHAMAYA featured two principal dancers extremely renowned in their work of art.

Datin Sri Umayal was returning to ‘the stage’ once again - all for a cause that is close to her heart. She finds complete joy in being able to provide the children at Taarana with the best of her abilities.

Through the diverse styles of Bharata Natyam - regal and resplendent as well as the exquisite and sublime style of Odissi, dancers and musicians from Malaysia and India explored the underlying essence of Bhakthi or devotion through MAHAMAYA - Transcending the power of Illusion.

The crowd was also enthralled with the all new choreographic works led by P.T Narendran from Chennai and Leena Mohanty from Orissa- Both exponents were extraordinaire of their respective dance styles.

Leading two live Orchestras were the one and only Prince of Carnatic Music, O.S Arun and Orissa's Nightingale Dheeraj Kumar Mohapatra.

MAHAMAYA was mainly staged in aid of Taarana, a School for Children with Special Learning Needs administered by Vijayaratnam Foundation in SS3, Petaling Jaya. Through this program, the Foundation was hoping for generous donors and individuals to help the school reach out and impact more children with special educational needs.

Taarana has a reputation for excellence and is an invaluable resource for Special Needs Children due to the level of care and expertise it offers. However, the School is limited in terms of financial strength to reach out to more children who are in need of special education care. Hence, MAHAMAYA hoped to raise funds from generous individuals, the private sector, as well as those who appreciate traditional dance and music.

About Vijayaratnam Foundation

Vijayaratnam Foundation (www.vijayaratnam.org.my) is the Malaysian Chapter of RYTHM Foundation (RF), the corporate heartbeat of the QI Group of Companies.

The Foundation has a mandate under the theme of “Empowering Lives, Transforming Communities” intended to invest in the creation and upscaling of initiatives which reach out to the grassroots communities, individual families and vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society, who are the main beneficiaries of the Foundation’s charitable activities.

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW

May 5, 2016

Drenched in soulful melodies

SHAILAJA KHANNA

Sankat Mochan Samaroh in Varanasi witnessed eclectic performances.

Banaras witnessed its annual six-night musical extravaganza from April 26th to May1st. With 44 concerts, it was impossible to savour each one, but the highlight of the 1st day was undoubtedly Pakistan’s Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan, who against all odds, sang for the second time in this temple festival. Sadly today he is a shadow of his former self, but it didn’t seem to matter; the crowds had swelled impossibly high.

The new face of the festival was S. Aakash from Bangalore; definitely a flautist to look out for. He mentioned he does not play in the Carnatic style as his elder cousin Shashank Subramanium holds sway, so is learning in the North Indian idiom from Jayteerth Mevundi.

Kaushiki Chakravorty made her debut at the festival with a polished Jog which was a trifle puzzling as it was only 11 p.m. when she started. Her subsequent thumris were soulful and much appreciated by the Banaras crowd who are seasoned thumri listeners.

‘Taal Yogi’ Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and his percussion ensemble introduced a new bass instrument called cajun which picked up the tabla bols at the end of each piece resulting in a magnificent booming finale. The accompaniment was vocal which appealed.

Pandit Ajay Pohankar opened his recital with Darbari. He kept the presentation compact and did not indulge in vocal histrionics. Purbayan Chatterji dazzled the audience with Jogiya Kalingra, a small raga he effortlessly played a full one hour without being repetitive. His aalap was short, yet effective, ending in an eight bol jhala with a pause. It reminded one of Pandit Nikhil Bannerji. The three gats, starting with a masitkhani and embellished with dazzling taans, and subtle laykari, concluded with a jhala which was interspersed with short sapaat tans which were most enjoyable. Purbayan ended with a Kirwani dhun.

A sublime Lalit and then intricate Bhairav Bhatiyar, a new jor raga created by Gunidas was sung by Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar; on request he ended with a Bhairavi bandish thumri.

The main draw of the 3rd day was Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, who was not in as great form as he usually is. A maestro like him can of course never fail to impress, and his Bihag was lilting, but the Durga, and thumris which followed were perhaps not as soulful as one expects from the master. Performing in the open 35 degrees Celsius temperature inevitably takes its toll.

Shoma Ghosh sang uplifting bhajans dedicated to Lord Shiva and Hanumanji. Her Hansadhwani was particularly moving.

Pandit Kumar Bose in his tabla jugalbandi with his nephew Rohan impressed as always. Pandit Samaresh Chaudhary’s Todi was interesting to hear as he is rarely heard on the concert circuit. His Patiala gharana gayaki was impeccable.

The 4th day undoubtedly belonged to the Carnatic stream, with the most captivating performances being from the South. It started with percussionist Sivamani; “Mandolin” U Rajesh and Pandit Ronu Mazumdar on the flute were the other parts of the act. The trio played several pieces, in the Carnatic and the Hindustani idioms. The crowd frenzy was unprecedented.

P.T. Narendran, the Bharatanatyam dancer from Chennai was superb with his elegant grace; one wished that for a primarily Hindi speaking audience the explanatory commentary of the pieces were in Hindi. Pandit Kadri Gopalnath on the saxophone showed dexterity on his instrument, making it hard to believe it was not an instrument of Indian origin.

Pandit Biswajeet Roy Chaudhary sensibly went straight to a madhyalaya gat in his opening Shahana; eschewing a prolonged aalap; he ended with Nayaki Kanhra. His playing is within a framework of the Senia sarod baaj, with upaj inspired by his vocal Guru Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur.

The most noteworthy concerts of the 5th day were the dance and sarod. Odissi doyen Sonal Mansingh, who as she put it, has assumed the role of a Kathakaar in her presentations, was excellent. Her extempore quotations from the Ramayana were impressive and she was able to create a picture of a mythical time with ease with a combination of discourse nritya and abhinaya.

Sarod doyen Ustad Ashish Khan, Shiraz Ali and Atish Mukhopadhyay created a tremendous musical ambience – the Bageshwari aalap was not able to fully portray the majestic structure the Ustad attempted as the sound system gave way. The pakhawaj style tabla accompaniment during the jor reminded one of a bygone era of playing. The second raga was Kaunsi Kanhra, in which they played a vilambit gat composition of Guruma Annapurnaji. The third piece – not folk, not classical as the Ustad put it – was composed specially for the occasion as a tribute to Hanumanji.

Pandit Nagaraj Havaldar and his family sang an imposing Abhogi, a Kirana gharana favourite. The concluding tarana was especially effective, with fast-paced taans.

As a music enthusiast from Bikaner put it, he travels to Banaras every year because the music here is played in the spirit of an offering, and the listeners take it as “prasad”.

Indian Voice

Melbourne Hindu Youth aid the Indigenous Youth

MELBOURNE, 2 JULY. Kala Pravaasa a journey of the fine arts, by the youth unfolded with a bang, in the Shiva Vishnu cultural centre on Saturday the 2nd of July 2016.

Youth unleashed their talent to a hall bursting at the seams with a rapt audience.

The evening was kicked off by Carnatic music incorporating both eastern and western instruments. Then the Ghungroo School of Dance performed a fine vandana piece in Kathak. The youth moved from north India to east of India and the Sohamasmi school performed a beautiful Odissi item. Coming down south to Kerala and the Tanishka Academy of Indian Classical Dances performed a soothing piece in Mohini aattam.

Moving to the cultural heritage state of Tamil Nadu, the closing Thillana for the first segment was a joint presentation from the Bharathanatyam schools of Bharatha Choodamani, Bharathakalanjali, Kalanjali School of Dance, Nadanalaya Academy of Dance and Nrithakshetra School of Indian Classical Dance. This was an interesting challenge since the visiting maestro Shri. P.T.Narendran had choreographed and trained the multi school students in exactly five lessons to perform together.

The second half opened with sitar rendition from Sharda Kala Kendra followed by a nice Bhajan segment by the youth. This was followed by young men and women dancing Garbha taking us to Gujarat. Then moving all the way down to Sri Lanka, a striking Kandyan dance item was presented from the school of Rangana and Udumbara Ratnatunga. Closing the wonderful evening of variety, colour, costumes and such a charged atmosphere, was the all men Bhangra performance from the popular Melbourne Bhangra Regiment. The Dhol drum solo end was an absolutely resounding end to a smashing evening.

The architects of the fantastic evening are the Hindu youth, a newly formed youth wing of the Hindu Society of Victoria which is exploring the possibilities that are imaginable when Hindu youth unite. The key players in organising this grand event were Lakshanya Vasan, Satheepan Elankumaran and Sachin Sureshkumar. They rightly decided that their first endeavour must aid the indigenous youth. The charity of their choice was Red Dust role models providing health development in remote indigenous communities.

The Chief Guest for the evening was Shri.P.T.Narendran, the esteemed dancer, teacher choreographer from the prestigious school of fine arts, Kalakshetra in Chennai Tamil Nadu. The evening would not have been complete without the aboriginal dance. The Yumbi dance group played the didgeridoo and danced the aboriginal creation dance centred around Bunjil, the eagle hawk creator. On popular request, the Kalakshetra Chief Guest did an impromptu mini thandava to the indigenous elders richly resonating didgeridoo. On behalf of RED DUST role models charity, Samantha Guttridge received the donation from the Hindu youth.

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW » DANCE

July 21, 2016

Where ‘Helen’ becomes ‘Hela’

V. V. RAMANI

Hela by Sadanam P V Balakrishnan.. Photo: R. Ravindra

In an experimental attempt, Sadanam Balakrishnan gave Euripides’s story a Kathakali tweak.

The rhythm of the percussion instruments permeated the space, drawing the rasikas’ focus on a colourful thiraiseelai that held promises of a make-believe world.

It opened with an introductory Purappadu, and the audience was introduced to Hela and Manodhan, the lead pair of the Kathakali performance, ‘Hela’, in the premiere show at Rukmini Arangam, Kalakshetra.

Directed by veteran Kathakali exponent Sadanam P.V. Balakrishnan, ‘Hela’ was based on the Greek tale, ‘Helen’ (Helen of Troy) by Euripides. The play had many similarities to the Ramayana and lent itself with ease to the theatrical form of Kathakali.

Sadanam, in the role of artistic director, looked into every aspect of the production, from translation of lyrics to costume designing and choreography. He not only suitably adapted and condensed the story but also trained many of the artists, who are not full-fledged Kathakali dancers, for this show. Although the grammar of the art form was maintained, the nuances of abhinaya and lyrics seen in the traditional performances were underplayed.

The dancers performed their roles with conviction keeping the interest alive. The first scene offering an insight into the psyche of Hela and her dilemma about her birth, was noteworthy because of Vidya Girish’s sensitive portrayal.

The depiction of the neck and wing movements of Hamsa was captivating. P.T. Narendran as Manodhan also impressed with his subtle abhinaya and his delineation, drawing a parallel between the locks of his beloved’s hair and the dark rain clouds.

The two dancers moved gracefully through the warfare movements with suitable romantic expressions, in their depiction of sringara rasa to make it an aesthetic experience.

Viraja Mandhre as Thoyaja, Haripadman as Thoyodbhavan, K.M. Jayakrishnan as Nyasthan and the other dancers (Sridevi Jayakrishnan and Sharada Acharya as the chorus; Sanjit Lal, Sai Krishnan, Amal Nath and Mukundan as messengers/ soldiers) were convincing in their roles.

The visual splendour of the Kathakali form was seen in the entries of Thoyodbhavan, and Thoyaja. There were also subtle changes in costume and simplification of some characters.

In terms of music, the appropriate use of ragas such as Nilambari, Thodi, Atana and Kalyani the production made a lasting impact. The sound effects of warfare also enhanced the visual proceedings.

In certain sequences such as the fight on the boat, the choreography did not impress, although the director drove home the messages about war, its impact and futility, and about love being able to conquer everything finally.

Musical support was by Sadanam Shivadasan and Srerag Verma, Sadanam Jayarajan (maddalam), Sadanam Ramakrishnan (chenda), Sadanam Jitin (edakka) and Pradeep Pattambi (kombu).

THE HINDU

FRIDAY REVIEW

BENGALURU Sep. 21, 2016

VATSALA VEDANTA

Students and teachers of Kalakshetra tell Vatsala Vedantam about the making of the Valmiki Ramayanam under Rukmini Devi Arundale

The world of performing arts turned upside down in the year 1953 when Rukmini Devi Arundale, inspired by the ballets of the Bolshoi theatre, decided to transform Valmiki’s mythological epic into a six-part dance drama. Teachers and students assembled under the great banyan tree in Kalakshetra were stunned. Who would set thousands of words to music? How would it be choreographed with such minimal stage facilities? And where were the male dancers to take on the roles?

Their chief was unfazed. With characteristic elan she said it would all happen.

“As providence would have it, Balagopal and I walked into the campus holding the hand of Guru Chandu Panikkar,” says Dhananjayan, one of the earliest male dancers in that epic production. She was ecstatic.

“Here come my Rama and Lakshmana with Viswamitra!” she announced.

Dhananjayan adds: “We were two village lads who just fitted into her vision.” The second miracle happened on Vijayadasami Day. During morning puja, Valmiki’s immortal lines “Tapaswadhyaya Niratham” could be heard. The singer was a 90-year- old vaggeyakara who had agreed to compose the music for the Ramayanam. It was a meeting of two rich minds. The final triumph of Rukmini Devi’s career. For Mysore Vasudevacharya, the ultimate reward of a life-time’s devotion to Rama. During the next seven years, he dedicated every waking moment to this task, starting with Sita Swayamvaram and working his way through Rama Vanagamanam, Paduka Pattabhishekam and Sabari Moksham. At the same time, he trained his grandson, Rajaram, who recalled how the great teacher stepped into the different roles he depicted to feel the range of emotions which would finally dictate the ragas.

“It was an extraordinary composition “with thatha worshipping the protagonist Rama every day before he sat down to write”.

But Vasudevacharya did not live to complete his work. In the middle of the fourth episode, he died, leaving the unfinished task to Rajaram, who composed the rest with his own touch of genius, completing the epic in 1969.

“It took 14 years to bring my Rama back to Ayodhya!” sighed Rukmini Devi.

Using minimal stage props, she relied on the dancers and musicians to make this epic come alive. She wanted their talent to dominate instead of artificial devices. Through sangeetham and sahithyam alone, the characters emerged. We see Kaikeyi change from a coy wife into a ruthless queen. Dasaratha, from a commanding king to a pitiable petitioner. The ragas, chosen appropriately, enhance the mood. Who can help brushing away a tear when Rama weeps over Sita’s jewellery in “Pasya Lakshmano Vaidehya” in Sindhubhairavi? Or, not be moved by Sita’s innocence when she introduces herself to Ravana as Janaka’s daughter in such evocative Kaapi? The only technology we see is the clever use of a cyclorama to dramatize scenes like Lanka Dahanam or the Agni Pravesham. The aim was not to exhibit stagecraft but to make the story come alive. The “Ramayanam” is meant to elevate, not entertain. Its choreography is suggestive rather than explicit. Scenes like Guha ferrying Rama and Sita across the river, or Hanuman lifting the mountain with the life-giving Sanjeevini are done with stunning realism through unusual adavus and appropriate music. Episodes like the elusive hunt for the golden deer or building the sethu bandhanam are accomplished with great artistry. Sensuous bharathanatyam movements juxtaposed with vigorous kathakali leaps to show Surpanaka convert from a forest nymph to a deadly goblin. Or, Ravana from a sanyasi to a rakshasa. With subtle changes in light and sound, we are transported from a palace to a forest to a seashore. With a mere pointing of hands, the monkey brigade led by Hanuman, transports us to Lanka where we see Ravana step forth for the last battle scene. In the end, it is the music that surpasses all in this spectacular production which has mesmerised audiences worldwide through its rich tapestry of sound and visuals. K. Balagopalan, the legendary Hanuman recalls how “Athai” combined Bharathanatyam with the more vigorous Kathakali mudras to portray different emotions like the “shantham” of Rama compared to “veeram” of Lakshmana. Or, characters like a trusting Sita or a cruel Ravana. “My life and personality changed after I did Anjaneya in Choodaani Pradhanam” he says. “It was a feeling out of this world , which cannot be defined. I started loving this art. I no longer wanted solo performances. Positive things also happened in my life. I still owe everything to Anjeneya and Athai who was a scholar, a musician, a legend.”

Shantha and Dhananjayan were the central figures in the Ramayanam for many years. According to them,“Our greatest joy was learning the lyrics and their meaning. What a mesmerising experience that was! As the epic progressed, things happened as if divinely ordained. The Ramayanam made us what we are today…..”

P.T. Narendran took over the role of Rama in 1983 and threw himself into the role of the Maryada Purusha to perfection that the audience would touch his feet! He too calls it “the greatest learning experience” of his life which taught him how to become the character he performed until “my personality changed completely.” Athai’s presence “had the power of a 1000 spectators,” that he once danced his way into the ocean instead of the sethu bandhanam!

If Vasudevacharya worked a miracle with his musical compositions, it is now left to talented singers like Sai Sankar and Hariprasad to keep them alive. Trained by Balamuralikrishna and Rajaram, Hariprasad joined the ballet in 1988. According to him, performing for a dance, where you need to switch ragas seamlessly, can be a great learning experience. “Athai’s choreography combined with this kind of music has often taken me into a spiritual plane while singing” he says. The synchronized singing of these two musicians makes this ballet a profound experience. Theirs is the invisible presence that remains with you long after the curtain comes down.

Kalakshetra will be presenting the RAMAYANAM in the Iskcon Temple auditorium , Bengaluru from September 25 to 30.

THE HINDU

Dez. 08, 2016

Rupa Srikanth

P.T. Narendran impressed as a choreographer and performer at Suvritti festival, writes Rupa Srikanth

When P.T.Narendran appeared on stage, one was instantly reminded of the tall, broad-shouldered and personable young Rama in the Kalakshetra dance dramas. It is not easy to shake off those memories as his tenure as a star member of the Kalakshetra repertory and as Rama in particular, lasted about 28 years. With so much exposure to the stage and stage-craft, Narendran has a head start in his new avatar as a choreographer and a Bharatanatyam soloist.

Narendran’s performance titled, ‘Ananda- the Ultimate Bliss,’ for Kalakshetra Foundation’s festival on choreographic works, ‘Suvritti – Traversing Creative Energies,’ was a collection of his visualisations, performed solo. By his own admission, his creative energies are spontaneous and is the cumulative effect of his observations and feelings. The foundation for ‘Ananda...’ was bhakti and the endless joy that comes with it. He believes in structuring a programme as a arohanam-avarohanam, in which you start on a slow, quiet note, build up the tempo and bring it back again to quietude.

Verses from Sri Purusha Sukta brought in a meditative mood before the varnam (‘Devar munivar,’ Shanmukhapriya, Adi, Lalgudi Jayaraman). Without ado, he launched into the varnam keeping the mood in the trikala jati with poses of Srinivasa in the vilamba kala, nritta in the madhyama kala and the avataras in the dhurita kala. Not that introducing friezes is a new concept, it is just that it carried the devotional fervour through. Narendran has a matter-of-fact way of enacting the sancharis — he is brief, not dramatic.

Every jati composition (Narendran) in the varnam resonated as simple rhyming sollus, while all the time holding gati-bedams within. The ‘Tham thadeem’ jati in 5s and 4s and the pancha-nadai jati before the mukthayi swaras were particularly striking. Venkatakrishnan’s (nattuvangam) enunciation was masterly, adding to the impact.

Narendran has the same matter-of-fact manner in tackling nritta; he has a fount of energy to draw upon. Everything happened back to back with no breaks. There is of course space to polish technique, especially in emphasising the araimandi.

It was the Navarasa sloka, ‘Sringaaram kshitinandini’ from Sri Rama Karnaamritham that one had reservations about. Narendran had re-arranged the order of presentation, so that it would feel like a story narration. While there is room for multiple interpretations for such short Sanskrit phrases, the interpretation of ‘bhayam aghe’ could be fear of committing adharma and that of ‘Shringaaram kshitinandini’ would imply Rama falling in love watching Sita playing in the garden before the swayamvara or walking in the forest during the vanavasa.

The orchestra with K. Hariprasad (vocal) in fine form was a delight. He was supported by the melodious duo, T. Sashidhar (flute) and Ananthanarayanan (veena), and together, they created an inspiring base for the dancer. Prof. Anil Kumar (mridangam) aided the time-keeping with committed support and subtle sound effects.

Narendran finished with a Siva Stuthi presenting the Siva Tandava and a meditative sloka on Siva, ‘Shivam Shivakaram Shantham.’

This dynamic dancer is a welcome addition to the pantheon of good, male dancers in the country.

The Star Online

Thursday, 29 January 2015

BY SHARMILLA GANESAN

Local dancers to perform acclaimed bharatanatyam exponent P.T. Narendran’s choreography

Up-and-comers from Kalpana Dance Theatre will be presenting a classical bharatanatyam repertoire in Saha-Narthana.

BHARATANATYAM dancer P.T. Narendran is a classicist at heart. When it comes to the dance form he has dedicated his life to, the India-based dancer firmly believes there is a diversity and versatility to the traditional bharatanatyam repertoire that is sometimes overlooked by those eager to introduce innovation.

“Take the supposedly-simple Alarippu (the first dance piece learnt in the traditional bharatanatyam repertoire); I’ve performed and seen it performed thousands of time, and yet, each time I watch it, it still feels fresh, there’s something new to appreciate.

“The dance comes from each dancer’s own mind, how deeply you can think about and understand it, so each piece looks different on a different dancer. That is the power of classicism,” says the 47-year-old at a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur.

Narendran, of course, is well-positioned to make this observation. An alumnus of the prestigious Kalakshetra academy in Chennai, India, where he trained in both bharatanatyam and kathakali (dance-drama form of Kerala), Narendran has over three decades’ worth of experience.

Having choreographed and performed all over the world – including Australia, Britain, Reunion Island, Singapore, and Switzerland – he has also dabbled in a multitude of art forms, such as Afro-Cuban dance, classical and contemporary ballet, mime, and shadow puppetry.

He believes that, when it comes to dance, having a strong foundation is important before one begins experimenting.

“Of course, people always want to try something new, but the problem is when you make changes for the sake of making changes. Classicism allows you to have a strong foundation from which to experiment,” he says.

Narendran’s upcoming venture in Kuala Lumpur, a dance showcase called Saha-Narthana (Dancing In Unison), highlights his love for the classical bharatanatyam repertoire.

Sharing knowledge: Narendran finds joy in working with up-and-coming dancers — ‘As a dancer, teaching is the best way to learn.’

Presented by Kalpana Dance Theatre (KDT), the show will see him take on the role of artistic director and choreographer, with the pieces being performed by 10 of KDT’s students. He previously choreographed KDT’s Sharanagati in 2013.

“The show is going to be a very traditional repertoire because I wanted to highlight its beauty. The presentation and formation is innovative, but the bharatanatyam stays bharatanatyam. You could call it old wine in a new glass,” he says.

The one-and-a-half-hour show will feature eight dance pieces, six of which are choreographed by Narendran. These include a varnam (short metric pieces that encapsulate a raagam, or melodic mode) composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman in the Shanmukhapriya raagam on Lord Vishnu, as well as a Shiva Stuthi extolling the virtues of Lord Shiva.

The remaining two pieces in the show were conceived previously by Kalakshetra founder Rukmini Devi Arundale; these include a rarely-seen keerthanam (Carnatic song composition) called Vidaimeedil Pavani Vandaar, a description of Lord Shiva in a procession, which was originally performed in Kalakshetra as part of a dance-drama.

When it comes to choreographing the items, Narendran says he gets his inspiration from the song that is being danced to.

“In the traditional bharatanatyam repertoire, the choreography follows what the poet says. The most important thing is the ability to understand the composer’s state of mind when he was writing that particular song. If, as a choreographer, you can understand this, then half your job is done.

“And then of course, the music and movement have to gel, and the expression, which is already in the song, needs to be visualised.”

The KDT dancers have spent about three months training for Saha-Narthana, which included a one-month trip to Chennai to work with Narendran.

The opportunity to work with KDT’s dancers was one he welcomed.

“They are not yet professional dancers, so they need to be ‘tuned’ a little! But I see a lot of enthusiasm in them, which reminds me of my own early days,” he says.

“I find a lot of joy working with up-and-coming dancers,” he says. “More than dancing, I love teaching. And as a dancer, teaching is the best way to learn.”

Star2.com

JANUARY 20, 2017

BY SHARMILLA GANESAN

Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, “The significance which is in unity is an eternal wonder.” Indeed, the whys and hows of the institution of marriage has held a fascination for us humans throughout history.

For while marriage automatically brings to mind notions of romantic love, the idea is in fact bound up with human society in many ways. Marriages have caused war and created kingdoms. They have established power structures, yet also broken societal norms. They have been used to forge strategic alliances or simply to increase labour force.

We have continuously redefined what marriage means to us.One might wonder, then, about the relevance of a production like Samyoga – The Divine Union, a bharatanatyam dance-drama by Kalpana Dance Theatre (KDT) that takes its inspiration from five marriages in Hindu mythology.

Do these ancient tales of love still have something to say?

“Of course!” says the show’s choreographer, P.T. Narendran. “Indian mythology contains the philosophy of life. These stories continue to connect to love and marriage today. Look at the stories themselves. Rukmini eloped with Lord Krishna when her family opposed their relationship. Meenakshi was a female warrior who meets Lord Shiva in battle. Sakunthala and Dushyantha fall in love and remain together of their own free will, without a ceremony or anyone else’s involvement.”

KDT founder and artistic director Shangita Namasivayam says the stories presented in the classical Indian dance show deal with some surprisingly modern themes, despite their roots in the Puranas – Hindu myths from as far back as 4th century AD.

“The stories are very contemporary for their time. Many of the women are very empowered and take life and love into their own hands,” she says.

Shangita and the India-based Narendran have collaborated on many shows here, including Sharanagati (2013) and Saha-Narthana (2015). The idea for Samyoga was mooted three years ago, when Shangita realised she had five pairs of dancers she could stage a show with.

“The marriage theme emerged from there,” she says.

Samyoga, which itself means “union”, will be brought to life by 10 Malaysian dancers, ranging in age from 19 to 40. They will be joined onstage by about 30 other KDT students playing various minor roles.

Besides the marriages of Meenakshi, Rukmini and Sakunthala, Samyoga will tell two other stories. One is Lord Rama and Sita’s wedding from the Ramayana, where Rama is required to string a bow to win her hand in marriage. The other will be the tale of tribal princess Valli and Lord Muruga, who disguises himself to test her love for him.

The show features an original script by Dr Va Ve Subramaniam and original Carnatic music compositions by K. Hariprasad.

Narendran, an alum of the esteemed Kalakshetra academy in Chennai, brings his more than 30 years of bharatanatyam experience to the production, specifically Kalakshetra’s finesse for dance-dramas.

Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer P.T. Narendran.

For Samyoga, he took his choreographic cues from the myths.

“Each story will tell you how to visualise it onstage. For example, the Shiva-Meenakshi tale is very traditional, while with Krishna and Rukmini we played around more with structure. For Sakunthala, as there is no actual marriage ceremony, I used very beautiful, lyrical steps to convey the emotions of the story.”

The challenge, he says, lay in each story being totally separate from the other, which meant he had to make each segment stand on its own.

“I wanted each of the nine rasa (emotions) to be in every story – shringara (love), hasya (laughter), karuna (compassion), raudra (anger), veera (courage), bhaya (terror), bhibatsa (disgust), adbutha (surprise), and shantha (peace).”

Narendran also found inspiration in the dancers themselves. He says each dancer almost immediately connects to a specific character in his mind, based on their personality, behaviour and body language.

“A dance-drama is a challenge for most dancers, because they are dancing as a character. They have to actually feel the emotions of the character first, only then will it show on their faces. So each of them have to transform from person to dancer to character.”

The biggest strength of Samyoga, Narendran says, is its accessibility. By taking on love and marriage as the theme, he hopes to create a moving experience for both performers and audience.

“Many bharatanatyam dancers focus on perfection, but not on joy. It is important for a dancer to find joy in what they do. That is how a performance connects with anyone and everyone.”

Samyoga – The Divine Union will be staged at the Shantanand Auditorium, Jalan Berhala, Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 21. Showtime: 7.30pm.

STRAI’TS TIMES

JANUARY 22, 2017

BY Subhadra Devan

Samyoga — The Divine Union looks at celestial marriages which are based upon love, writes Subhadra Devan

MARRIAGE and love drive bharathanatyam dance Samyoga — The Divine Union, an original show by Kalpana Dance Theatre.

Its co-founder, Shangita Namasivayam, says the dance “derives its form and substance from the love aspect of our puranas and kavyas, seeking to draw us closer to God by finding the best contentment in life through holy matrimony”.

Samyoga is choreographed by India’s P.T. Narendra. It looks at celestial marriages which are based upon love.

Narendra applauds Kalpana Dance Theatre for being innovative and creative in its ideas for its productions. Touted to be the best bharatanatyam dancer of his generation and now a renowned choreographer, he says: “I have not known of an Indian classical dance drama with five different love stories woven into one production. We have tried to make this performance vibrant, emotionally enriching and visually colourful.

“The first marriage (Meenakshi Kalyanam) takes place between a warrior princess who falls in love with her opponent. As for the second marriage (Sita Swayamvaram), though the hero and heroine fall in love at first sight, the hero wins her hand in marriage only after winning a mighty contest.”

The third segment, Rukmini Kalyanam, is about “a young girl who is in love with the Lord (and) has to fight all odds, including her elder brother, to win her love.”

In Shakuntalam, a king on a hunting expedition is captivated by Shakuntala, the daughter of a great sage.

“Lastly, in Valli Thirumanam, Lord Muruga disguises himself to win the heart of a gypsy girl in the forest.”

For Narendra, choreography is not only about setting movements to the music, but also “a process from the very beginning”.

“While brainstorming for ideas, the first spark for this concept came across when Shangita, lyricist Dr Va Ve Subramanyam and I met in Chennai. As he added his expertise with original lyrics, the music composer K. Hariprasad made it sensational to the ears.

“The first half of the production includes three stories, all of which have action/fight scenes. It was exciting to make each of the fight scenes different from the other.”

Since all the five stories depict marriage, says Narendra, much thought had to be put into making the celebration of each marriage different from that of the other.

“The chosen five stories needed a script to suit a two-hour dance production.

It took a year to evolve through a process of editing stories, writing new lyrics, composing music and lastly, the dance choreography.

“All the lead dancers are well experienced with performing, but the important part was to bring them together at heart, to coordinate their dance styles, and above all, to transform them into the various characters that they are portraying.”

Samyoga boasts a Malaysian ensemble of 43 dancers and will be performed to live music by Sivabalan Shanmuga Sundaram on mridangam and Muthuraman Ganesan on percussion, among others.

For Narendra, recorded music does not give the dancer room for improvisation. “On the other hand, live music gives the dancer room for improvisation and the opportunity to express freely.”

On the appeal of a traditional Indian dance production to a non-Indian audience, he quotes Kalakshetra founder Rukmini Devi: “Dance is not only an entertainment, but is also education through entertainment”. The stories portrayed in Samyoga express philosophies of life and will continue to remain current through the ages.

The Tribune, Chandigarh

29 Sept, 2017

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) presented a dance drama, ' Samyoga', weaved in Bhartnatayam by 11 accomplished dancers of Kalpana Dance Theatre ensemble from Malaysia under the direction of  Shangita Namasivayam, a Kalakshetra Bharatnatyam graduate at Randhawa Auditorium here today.

The presentation titled 'Samyoga- The Divine Union' choreographed by PT Narendran brought alive the spirit, sanctity of the sacred institution of matrimony through various episodes of three divine marriages of celestial goddesses, including Sita, Meenakshi Kalyanam and Valli Thirumanam.  

The  dancers, who were trained actors, illustrated all the 'Navras'-the emotions corresponding to physical state of moods through mudras enlivened with  dramatic and verbal expressions,  body movements with geometrical accuracy and cultivated decorative effects. 

Chief guest Paramjit Singh Sahai, Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia and ICCR regional director, honoured the artistes.

DECCAN CHRONICLE

Nov. 7, 2017

‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

The presentation brought alive the spirit, sanctity of the sacred institution of matrimony through various episodes of three divine marriages of ecclesiastical Goddesses, including Sita, Meenakshi Kalyanam and Valli Thirumanam. ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Chennai (ICCR) recently presented a dance drama ‘Samyoga’ weaved in Bharatanatyam, by accomplished dancers of Kalpana dance theatre ensemble from Malaysia. The presentation brought alive the spirit, sanctity of the sacred institution of matrimony through various episodes of three divine marriages of ecclesiastical Goddesses, including Sita, Meenakshi Kalyanam and Valli Thirumanam. ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

What is Samyoga: Samyoga derives its form and substance from  the love aspect of our ‘Puranas’ and ‘Kavyas, seeking to draw us closer to God, by finding the best contentment in life through holy  matrimony, Samyoga. ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage. ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

Kalpana dance theatre is the brain child of Sangeeta Namasivayam, a Kalashetra Bharatanatyam graduate, with more than 15 years of teaching experience, who has devoted her life to sharing her passion for dance. Kalpana dance theatre has come to be recognised for its high quality of teaching and holistic approach which focuses on creating a complete art Samyoga - the divine union.  ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

The troupe’s latest production featuring with all Malaysian cast, under the choreography of P.T. Narendran of Kalakshetra, who has discovered the deep relevance of dance, in nourishing the cultural roots of the community and in shaping the growth and artistic awareness of our youth. The dancers, trained actors illustrated all the ‘navrasas’, the emotions corresponding to physical state of moods through Mudras, enlivened with dramatic and verbal experiences, body movements with geometric accuracy and cultivated decorative effects.  ‘Samyoga’ sets to peek into the truth and justice of the sacrament of marriage.

Samyoga sets to peak into the truth and justice of the sacrement of marriage, through three divine matrimonials, which are based upon love. Many Bharathanatyam dancers focus on perfections, but not on joy.  It is important for a dancer to find joy in what they do. That is how a performance connects with the rasika.  It was a well presented programme where we got connected to the performance, through its universality.

The Hindu

October 12, 2017

BY V.V. Ramani

Samyoga presented three divine weddings, which were linked well

Dancers often are in a tight spot finding new themes and novel ways to present Natya Nadakams. Shangita Manoharan from Malaysia chose to present three popular divine weddings titled ‘Samyoga - Divine Union.’ Shangita and students of her company, Kalpana Dance Theatre, presented the work in Chennai recently, supported by ICCR.

Three wedding stories — Rama and Sita, Meenakshi and Sundareswarar, Valli and Murugan — were strung together and Shangita, who played the role of a Sutradhar, narrated the stories through dance.

Simple narrative

Beginning with the scene of Rama and Lakshmana accompanying Guru Viswamitra to the ashram, followed by Rama’s first glance of Sita in the garden playing with her friends to the breaking of Siva dhanush and the wedding sequence, the dance followed a simple narrative. The interest in the storyline slackened due to the lack of imaginative formations in the choreography. The sequences depicting Rama holding the Siva dhanush and a few theermanams at the swayamvaram looked out of place.

The presentation gained momentum with Meenakshi Kalyanam. The birth of Meenakshi, her training in various arts, her meeting with Siva, the blossoming of love and the thillana incorporated into the wedding scene unfolded one after the other in an aesthetic manner. Moving away from the classical mode, Valli Thirumanam with an interesting storyline, and music and dance movements based on folk style, was appealing.

The grand finale to celebrate the celestial weddings had a raas touch to it. At periodic intervals the lead pair of each story emerged from the group to bring about a visual link to the divine weddings. A little more attention to costume and styling would help in enhancing the production’s visual appeal.

The team with Shangita Manoharan (direction), P.T. Narendran (choreography), Va. Ve. Su (lyrics) and Hariprasad (music) needs to be lauded for its efforts.

The Star online, Malaysia

March 11, 2011

BY Sharmilla Ganesan

Dasavatar melded top-notch dance skills and superb Carnatic vocals.

Indian classical dance performances can be rather intimidating to the uninitiated audience member – the intricate movements, complex meanings and multiple interpretations make for an art form that is, while undeniably beautiful, quite a lot to take in. Which is why Dasavatar, a bharatanatyam show held last weekend at Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, deserves special credit; it takes real talent to present a performance that is not just techically impressive, but equally enjoyable to novices, experts and everyone in between.

Every aspect of the show, from its theme right down to the lighting and set design, seemed to be conceived with the audience in mind, to present not just a platform for the dancers but a memorable experience for the viewers. Structured as a dance drama, Dasavatar melded top-notch dance skills and superb Carnatic vocals with expressive storytelling techniques to create an entertaining, visually-stunning show.

Held in aid of Taarana, a centre for children with learning disabilities, the show was presented by the Vijayaratnam Foundation (VF) and Kalpana Dance Theatre, with VF chairperson Datin Umayal Eswaran and Kalpana founder Shangita Namasivayam also in the dance line-up.

They were joined by seven other accomplished dancers from Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius, many of whom have decades of dancing experience. These included well-known names such as P.T. Narendran, Apsara Ram Gopal and Vennila Mardemootoo. To watch these bharatanatyam veterans take to the stage together was a treat in itself.

Based on the story of the 10 earthly incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the show was divided into vignettes that described a key point in each avatar’s tale.

Chief among the show’s many strengths was the fantastic choreography by Chennai-based dancer Gayatri Balagurunathan, who also took to the stage. An alumna of the renowned Kalakshetra dance academy in Chennai, India, Gayatri’s vision of the age-old stories included both creative formations and movements as well as classical touches. While natya afficianados were rewarded with crisp execution of the steps and the masterful use of abhinayam (expression), even casual dance fans were likely wowed by the dynamic choreography and energetic performances.

Tapping into familiar tales of heroism, valour and good triumphing over evil, the universal nature of the stories made it easy for the audience to follow and identify with.

One of the most outstanding sequences was that of the Narasimha avatar, where Vishnu takes on the half-man, half-lion form in order to kill the demon king Hiranyakasipu. The battle between Narasimha, played by Narendran, and the king, played by V. Balagurunathan, was absolutely intense. Blending kathakali steps with bharatanatyam to evoke the violent energy of the scene, both excelled not only as dancers but as actors too.

Other sequences were memorable for their lovely formations, such as the Matsya (fish) incarnation, where the dancers mimic the gracefully undulating waves of the ocean, and the Koorma (turtle) avatar, where celestial beings churn the ocean. Many of the stories even had a touch of humour, such as the tale of Vamana, a dwarf who defeats the mighty king Bali, where dancers like Shangita and Gayatri excelled with their vivid expressions and body language.

The only quibbles with the show are minor ones. Some of the latter incarnations seemed a tad rushed, especially in comparison to the fully-developed stories earlier. There were also times when one or two of the dancers seemed to lag behind a little, though they soon rectified themselves.

Of course, the show would not have been what it was without the immensely versatile O.S. Arun providing the accompanying vocals. Infusing life into the devotional songs with his ability to improvise with the raagam (melody), he not only gave an excellent performance but also deftly created the mood of each sequence. In this, he was helped in no small part by an orchestra comprising of Balagurunathan on nattuvangam (hand cymbals), Ramesh Babu on percussion, Sankarapillai Sunilkumar on the flute and Gayathri Sri Vadivale on the violin.

In the end, the mark of a great show is in the reaction it gets from its audience. Judging by the standing ovation Dasavatar garnered, it certainly hit all the right marks.