Listen to the Dancing Bells

For all those dance enthusiasts, a one-day event that showcases three dance forms from different regions of India, will take place on December 6 at Ravindra Bharathi.

Sattriya from Assam, Mohiniyattom from Kerala and Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu are the forms that one can look forward to, presented by promising names such as Dr Anwesa Mahanta, Meera Sreenarayanan, Parvathy Menon and Shijith Nambiar

The sound of the dance bells can be heard once again. Into its third year, “Nupura-Raavam” - the annual festival of dance made the dance aficionados of Hyderabad sit up and take notice three years ago and ever since, they started to look forward to the annual event with much enthusiasm.

Bringing top artistes from across the country, presenting aesthetically pleasing performances, “Lasyakalpa” - the Foundation for arts, by artistes, has met the expectations so far, of the discerning audiences, thus winning their appreciation.

The Founder-Director of Lasyakalpa, DSV Sastry is a Kuchipudi guru and choreographer, who specialises in dance music in various capacities such as vocalist, nattuvanar and music composer. Hailing from a traditional Kuchipudi family, his dedication to the dance form is remarkable. Two young Kuchipudi dancers, Katyayani Thota and Sahiti Reddy who joined Sastry garu work together as a team to promote arts.

This year, the festival is going to be a one day event, showcasing three dance forms, and will take place on December 6 at Ravindra Bharathi, starting at 6 pm. Sattriya, from Assam, Mohiniyattom from Kerala and Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu are the three dance forms being presented by Dr Anwesa Mahanta, Meera Sreenarayanan and the duo, Shijith and Parvathy respectively.

Dr Anwesa is the proud recipient of the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar this year, for her journey as a dedicated performer of Sattriya. A promising young exponent of Sattriya Dance, belonging to the Vaisnava monastery of Assam, she has received accolades from the art connoisseurs and scholars for the grace and liveliness of her dance and the expressiveness of her abhinaya.

Dynamic, young aspiring artiste Meera Sreenarayanan, from Guruvayur (Kerala), is making waves in the field of Indian classical dance. Hailed a child prodigy, Meera began her career as a Bharatanatyam performer at the age of eight. She has performed extensively in prestigious venues and festivals throughout the country.

Parvathy Menon from Kalakshetra, is a serious advocate of the discipline with unrelenting passion for the great art form inherited from the past. Shijith Nambiar is an ex-faculty member of Kalakshetra, the world-renowned institution at Chennai and a multifaceted artist having exceptional choreographing skill and musical sense. His performances have received great acclaim from prominent exponents of the discipline in India and abroad. Now we know what to expect... The very best!

By:Vijaya Pratap