Nadavidyalaya Academy of Music and Dance, Hebbal, Mysuru, presented its 16th annual programme of music and dance ‘Nada Nrityopasana’ from July 23 to 25 at RamaGovinda Rangamandira in Ramakrishnanagar.

Academy’s Karnatak vocal and Bharatanatyam students took part in the three-day celebration under the guidance of Guru Vidwan M.S. Naveen and Vidu. Mithra Naveen. Around 150 artistes performed during the 3-day event.

On July 23, Karnatak Classical vocal concert started with varna karurnimpa in raga shahana adi tala continued with nottu swaras of Muthuswami Dikshitar, kriti sada paalaya composed by G.N. Balasubramanyam in raga mohana and thillana in kadanakutuhala raga adi tala.

‘Dasanamana’ music feature was an innovative presentation of both melody and meticulous information. It opened the door of the Dasa sahitya. Narrating the life history, the moral values, way of conveying the social and puranic stories, ethics, bhakti path followed by the Dasa shreshtas, lyrical literature that are straight forward, easy to understand, made the audience go to the world of ecstasy. Songs that were selected by the thousands of songs of Dasa sahitya were pillari geete, sharanu siddhi vinayaka, tarakka bindige, narayanate namo namo, taaluvikegintanya yapavu ella, ninna maganene gopi, dasana maadiko enna and many more composed by Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Sripadaraja, Vadiraja, Vyasaraja and others.

To end the concert, popular song harivarasanam was made to hum by the audience where the whole auditorium was filled with bhakti bhava.

Concert was accompanied by Vid. Dasappa on mridanga, Vid. Chandan on violin, Yeashas N. Kashyap on flute and the whole programme was directed by Guru Vid. Naveen M.S. Andagar.

On July 24, Bharatanatyam concert was a treat to the eyes where Academy’s senior students opened up with pushpanjali in raga aarabhi set to adi tala by seeking the Lord, Guru and the audience for the success of the programme.

The tiny tots where extraordinary in their nritta and quick formations in ‘jathiswara’ set to adi taala for raga kalyani.

Senior students were very much matured and subtle in abhinaya in a most popular song ‘Chandra Chooda Shiva Shankara.’ The stories of Gangaavatarana, Samudra Manthana, Bhakta Markandeya, Manmatha Dahana were formatted to a roopaka.

Choreography technique used in swaras and changes of nadai were professional which beautified Adi Shankaracharya’s mudakarata modakam by senior troupe. Jayajanardhana Krishna and Dashavatara shloka by the kids who made their maiden entry to the dance field were a treat to the eyes.

Yaare Rangana, Narayanate Namo Namo and Bhagyaada Lakshmi Baramma devaranamas were danced by the students who are ready to take up junior exams with confidence. Academy’s junior students very innocently brought out their skills on to the stage by giving justice to the natanam aadinaar sthuthi in vasantha raga khanda atta tala. It was pleasant to watch the little feet dance to mooshika vahana, saraswathi and aangikam bhuvanam shlokas.

The Bharatanatyam programme was directed, choreographed and accompanied by Guru Vidu. Mithra Naveen on natuvanga, Vid. M.S. Naveen – vocal, Vid. Kiran – mridanga and Yeashas Kashyap – flute.

On July 25, it was a valedictory function along with a dance drama ‘Dharma Vijayam’ by the disciples of Vidu. Mithra Naveen. Kannada and Culture Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy was the chief guest. Senior artistes Vid. Dasappa (mridangist, Mysuru), Vid. Vivek Krishna (flautist, Bengaluru), Vid. G.S. Nagaraj (mridangist, Bengaluru) and Vid. Ramachandra Ganapathi Bhat (Sanskrit educator) were felicitated at Nada Nrityopasana.

Summary of the dance-drama was to portray the slogan of sanatana dharma ‘Dushta Shikshana, Shishta Rakshana’ that is triumph over the evil. In satya, treta and dwapara yuga, it was by different weapons the Lord destroyed evil, but in this Kali yuga, it is only through the Sankeertana of the Lord, that human kind can attain salvation. The malevolent qualities of Mahisha, Ravana and Kamsa within us are to be destroyed and good virtues are to be imbibed.

Yashaswini as Goddess Chamundeshwari, Keertana as Mahishasura in Satya yuga. Chitrashree as Sri Rama, Sukrutha as Lakshmana, Deekshitha as Seeta, Monisha as Hanumantha, Prarthana as Kaikeyi, Rithanya as Sugreeva, Sanjana as Vali & Kumbhakarna, Shreya as Maaricha and Guha, Arpitha as Raavana in Threetaa Yuga. Dhanya as Devaki, Samudyatha as Lord Sri Krishna, Rakshitha as Vasudeva, Harshitha as Yashoda, Kushi as Kamsa, Sheershika as Pootani in Dwaapara Yuga and Sinchana in Kali Yuga proved their potential in the show.

Angikabhinaya, Aaharyabhinaya, Vaachikaabhinaya and Satvikabhinaya was precisely seen in each of the character, each of the scene and each of the movement in the whole dance drama.

Dance drama was written, directed, narrated, choreographed and accompanied on natuvanga by Guru Vidu. Mithra Naveen who filled spirit into souls of the Rasika. Vocal, music direction by Vid. Naveen M.S. Andagar with that challenging tuneful and commendable voice modulations simultaneously for singing and dialogue delivery.

Vidwan G.S. Nagaraj, who was extraordinarily dynamic and soothing on mridanga so as to bounce the effects exactly to match the movement of the dancer was eye catching. Vid. Vivek Krishna by his soulful flute rendition, on his toes, on his fingers all the time, so as not to miss a gap was a phenomenal artiste.

To sum up, the three-day festival was indeed a celebration and a program of Divinity, Ethics and Ecstasy.