BASANT UTSAV ~ Spring Dance Festival

Dancers of grace, strength and exquisite gestural beauty fill the stage with deeply expressive Bharata Natyam dance of southern India. In a single sublime evening you will witness expressions of India’s treasured legacy offered to us by the remarkable artists

~Rama Vaidyanathan & Vaibhav Arekar~

Tickets: Email shaktiarpana@gmail.com | bit.ly/basantdance

Rama Vaidyanathan’s North American premiere of “New Dimensions to the Margam”, blossoms with classic compositions reimagined with her distinctive choreographic vision. Here, the poetry of India’s myriad tongues is a dance of dialects and rhythms brought to life under Vaidyanathan’s brilliance. Solo and ensemble performances merge, accompanied by the vibrant orchestra.

Vaibhav Arekar’s Pravaha weaves the physical with the metaphysical, the self with the sublime through the motifs of Ardhanarishwara, Varnam, and Harihara. The 2nd half of his margam breathes life into Tagore’s Debotar Grash offering a tapestry of verse flowing in Bengali and English, Hindustani and Karnatic melodies & rhythms.

ARTIST BIOS

Vaibhav Arekar belongs to a new generation of dedicated, dynamic dancers, whose art and life are guided by the vision of promoting and projecting Indian classical dance as an evolving, contemporary art form. He is the founder of Sankhya Dance Company, one of the leading dance companies in western India. In his work – Pravaaha, he presents Bharatanatyam in its solo format including signature compositions passed down to him by his mentor over 25 years ago before he navigates a solo production – Debotar Grash, based on Tagore’s poem of the same name. Debotar Grash becomes the frame within which is painted the emotional landscape of a child’s innocence and mother’s love. Pravaaha looks at the flow of this ancient art form as has been passed down to Arekar, imbibed in the present and now, flows through him into the future.

Vaibhav’s mastery in Bharatanatyam is rooted in the foundational training he received from Smt. Saroja Srinath; abhinaya and performance techniques honed under the guidance of his mentor, Dr. Kanak Rele. He has embraced a comprehensive approach to dance, extending his expertise to Kathak under the tutelage of Smt Rajashree Shirke, and theater training from Shri Chetan Datar. Vaibhav’s dance works reflect distinct contemporary sensibilities while maintaining a strong foundation in classical traditions. Each choreography reveals his deep understanding of theater and poetry, showcasing a seamless integration of these arts within his work.

Rama Vaidyanathan is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. She trained under the legendary dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy and Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. Rama has developed her own individual style without forsaking the core principles of her dance form. Her technique is grounded and yet there is a fresh approach to the innumerable dance compositions that she has added to the Bharatanatyam repertoire. Critics and audiences have lauded Rama’s extraordinary choreographic skills that have earned her the reputation of being a dancer who goes beyond her form. In a performance career spanning 40 years Rama has had the distinction of having performed before 3 former Presidents of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. She is an A grade artiste with Doordarshan and is in the outstanding category of artistes with the ICCR. She has represented India in several festivals abroad, most recently being the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” in Spain, organized by ICCR. Rama has traveled extensively to Indian rural areas through SPICMACAY to introduce dance to children.

Having performed at every major dance venue of the world, she has been awarded with many awards and titles, including the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar. She has received the “Kalaimamani” from Govt of Tamil Nadu, “Kalashree ” from Govt of Kerala, and Kumar Gandharv Puraskar from the Govt of Madhya Pradesh. Titles received in Chennai – Nadanamamani-Kartik Fine arts, Vani Kala Sudhakara – Tyagabrahma Gana Sabha, Nritya Choodamani – Krishna Gana Sabha, and Nritya Kalanidhi – Music Academy. As  Vice President of Ganesa Natyalaya New Delhi, she is actively engaged in teaching, balancing performance schedules, conducting workshops and master classes all over the world, inspiring a whole generation of dancers. A dedicated teacher she has produced a number of accomplished students who are professional dancers.

New Dimensions to the Margam. Rama Vaidyanathan is known for her fresh approach to Bharatanatyam, and for her unique choreographic skills. In this program North American premiere she presents compositions that are completely rooted in Bharatanatyam, and yet they will have a new perspective to the evolving Bharatanatyam vocabulary. While pushing boundaries in the choreography, she goes beyond the form to give visual imagery to poetry in different Indian languages. The program will have solo as well group presentations along with a live orchestra comprising of young talented musicians.

Choreography & performance: Rama Vaidyanathan

Dancers: Kavya Ganesh, Reshika Sivakumar, Shubhamani Chandrashekar, Vaishnavi Dhore

Orchestra:

Nattuvangam/Kanjira  Ashwin Subramaniyan

Vocals Anugrah Lakshmanan

Mridangam Sannidhi Vaidyanathan

Violin Vishwesh Swaminathan