By Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan

Kala Deepthi is a dance organisation devoted to Bharatanatyam. Its Director Deepthi, who is a disciple of Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy, has trained several students in Bharatanatyam at her school in J.P. Nagar. Eighteen students ranging from 6-7 years to 15 years of age performed for the first anniversary of the Dance School on Feb.27. Senior Dance teacher of the city K. Ramamurthy Rao, Professor Sanjay Kumar of NIE College and musician and art critic Dr. Padmavathi Narasimhan inaugurated the evening’s ritual.

The most attractive part of the evening was the anchoring by nine tiny-tots who did their part impressively with no stage fear. The first item ‘Nrityanjali’ which was in Ragamalike and Talamalike was a short dance by little ones under ten years of age. Keeping with the tradition, the next set of students presented ‘Allaripu’ in Roopaka tala.

Like Pushpanjali,  ‘Kauthuvam’ was a part of the rituals closely associated with temple and performed within its premises only by those with special authority and a sanction to do so. Recently it has gained prominence in Bharatanatyam recitals. Kautuvam is a hymn or song in praise of a deity. The present Kauthuvam was on Krishna. The structure began with a rhythmic recitation of sollukattus followed by lyric recitation in the same rhythmic metre ending again with a sollukattu. The kauthuvam was in Mohana set to Trishra Gati. ‘Kalinga Mardana’  was beautifully portrayed. Jatiswara, another important part of a Bharatanatyam recital came next in Vasanta. Devaranama ‘Gummana Kareyadire Amma Neenu’ by Sri Purandara Dasaru was presented by four pairs of students who played Krishna and Yashoda. ‘Taam Taam  taam endu Ranga ninna paada, Thai thai thai endu kuniyuva paada’ was another devaranama in which in sanchari Narasimhavatara and Vamanavatara were chosen for abhinaya. A Thillana followed in Behag set to Adi TAla. The evening’s programme concluded with mangalam set to dance for the popular ‘Jaya Janardhana Krishna.’

Choreography for the event was by Deepthi, vocal support was provided by Sparsha Shenoy, another member of Vasundhara Performing Arts Centre,  natuvanga by Guru Deepthi, violin accompaniment by Tandava Murthy, flute by Rajesh and mridanga by Hanumantaraju.

The programme is not to be compared with other stage performances as these girls are amateurs and this was staged to provide a platform to the youngsters as an incentive to continue their interest in the art.