Nandi Utsav 2008.

Nandi Utsav is the 14th year anniversary celebrations of Nandi Bharatha natya Kala Sala. I'll quickly take you thru "Bharathnatyam" and a very little about Nandhi Bharatha Natya Kala Sala. I'll then share my thoughts about Nandhi Bhratha Natya Kala Sala and Nandi Utsav.

Bharata Natyam (pronounced as ba-rata-na-tiam) is a classical dance form of India, celebrated for its sophistication, subtlety and stylization. Bharatanatyam is an ancient classical dance style, originally performed in the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. The Indian dance system is the oldest and most comprehensive in the world, having an unbroken tradition that goes back 2000 years.

The name 'Bharatanatyam' is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Thaala.
The general interpretation for the name is

BHAva (expression) + RAga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharatanatyam
Recognized for its dynamic rhythm and rich vocabulary of expressive gestures, its hallmarks are crisp geometrical movements, sculpturesque poses and stylized expressions. Visually, it is a dynamic, earthly and precise style of dance with a distinct linear quality

Nandi Bharatha Natya Kala Sala is a Bharatha natyam school at Nandidurg Road, Bangalore. Headed by Guru Mrs. Geethalakshmi . Mrs. Geethalakshmi is one of those dance experts who are striving to keep the art alive. The popularity of Bhratha naytam has had a nose dive after we got introduced to dance forms like Disco, Salsa and Jazz. however, I admit that people like Geethalakshmi have been quite successful in what they do. The Utsav had about 50 people performing! for a person like me who thought Bharath natyam is a not-so-cool form of dance it was a moment of revelation. I could feel the rhythm in my body after spending my evening at Nandi Utsav.

Performances that stood apart - Chandra Chuda padham, Mohini Attam, the folk dance, Subramanya Bharathiar's padham and the Krishna dasar's padham.

People who did really well - Yamini, Kavya, Divya and Meera! these guys had the passion and it was all over the place when they peformed. Lovely!!

Appreciate the students who are still keen about learning and performing Bharathanaytam, their parents and all the dance teachers! You guys are fabulous.

A lot of things kept me out of action for a long time, I wanted to start on a positive note and this was it - Nandi Utsav! It has made me get back to blogging. In the next few days, am going to be blogging frequently. Lots to share and loads to think about.. I want to write about 26/11, 01/01/2009, Circus and a lot of controversial stuff as usual.. Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead. Cheers.

PS - thanks to people like Divya, Pooh and Vats who've got me back to blogging! 3 cheers to you.. :)

Unity In Diversity.

Unity In Diversity

This is a line which never made sense to me back in school, my civics teacher would go on and on about this subject while I never found this interesting, EVER. I always wondered why she was so passionate about this topic.. days went by, weeks, months and years went by...

I guess I learnt what I had to learn; As a country, we went through a phase, a phase of growth, globalization. Manufacturing boomed, Outsourcing boomed and so has retail now. We've seen so much happen in the country and I've personally felt a lot emotional when there was an Earthquake, a Tsunami or a Kargil Attack. however, this line "Unity in Diversity" never struck me.

It took a movie to make me feel "The Feeling", I went this theatre to watch a movie and as usual, I was a lil' early and had to sit through the countless advertisements, after all the flam and glam ads, I saw a clip that read "Please stand up for the national Anthem" and I thought this was another funny ad, just before I could make a comment, the music started and I stood up; honestly, it was more of an involuntary action. I stood up and I saw the whole video, wonderfully made, I could see soldiers from every part of the country. All of them serving the nation, Uber-Patriotism!

A moment for a "Paradigm Shift" my whole philosophy of Patriotism, gained a new perspective, I could feel that I'm so touched, I could feel the goose bumps. I was clearly excited and floored by just looking at the Men who protect the country.

This day I saw nothing else but the true meaning of the term "Unity in Diversity" - Lovely Line!