|
“Catch them young”… a rather forceful dictate, yet, a proven truth and a widely-held notion among tutors and instructors, the world over, in all spheres of knowledge whether it be in the field of education, music, dance or martial arts. It is a wisdom which has been popular and well-accepted through the ages, a simple reality, whose efficacy was borne out in no small measure by the charming children who participated in the Bharatanatyam programme for young artistes conducted by the Indian Fine Arts, Dubai, on Saturday April 28, 2007, at the Indian Consulate Auditorium.
It was nothing less than two magical hours of
colour, melody and rhythm as children of various age groups presented a dazzling array of dances, slow and fast numbers, that held the audience spellbound.
It would be no exaggeration to state that the tiny-tots and the graceful ‘teens’ who took part in the concert exhibited an appreciable spark of rich talent latent in them, something precious, to be tapped and nurtured by parents and teachers alike. This makes one firmly believe that these young artistes and others of their ilk could well be the future torch-bearers of our vibrant art and culture, despite the challenges and distractions of modern-day life, more so in an alien country.
The concert commenced with the traditional
Pushpanjali, which was rendered by enchanting Yashoda Sundar Raman, an ever-smiling 4-year-old and the tiniest artiste of the day!
Ganeshanjali, another dance of invocation was executed with immense agility, confidence and poise by lovely Soundarya Sunder. Cute and impish Dipika Shanker and pleasant and unruffled Aarti Srinivasan with their spirited rendition of Nachair Kauthuvam and Jathiswaram set the tempo for the following presentation, a lively varnam by twinkle-toed Thangammal
Subramaniam, a veritable powerhouse of energy whose vigorous performance of this brisk number with commendable ease and simplicity evoked an enthusiastic response.
‘Shivanai Ninai Maname’, a highly meaningful
Padam, was delivered with deep feeling and exquisite perfection by stunning Sinduja
Sunderajan, whose fluidity of movement and spontaneity of expression, indicated years of dedicated learning and disciplined practice.
Continuing in the same vein, in praise of Lord
Nataraja, the master of the cosmic dance, ‘Prabhum
Prananatham’, the Shivashtakam, was presented with vim and vigour by Shruti
Veeraraghavan. Light-footed, lithe and nimble, she displayed astounding control over body movements and executed the most difficult postures with relative ease.
With her pleasing countenance, lissome movements and faultless footwork, Niranjana Rajagopal’s presentation of the
Padam, “Aadikondar Nalla Vedikkai Kana’ elicited much applause. A beautiful composition, ‘Kamakshi Madurai
Meenakshi’ in ragam Karaharapriya was presented by pretty Udhita
Thyagarjan.
Slender as a wand, cheerful Arulpriya Manikavasakam swayed in divine ecstasy to the lilting strains of ‘Adathu Asangathu Vaa
Kanna’ and with amazing ability transported the audience to the blissful land of
Nandalala.
As the programme drew to a close in the conventional style, with a
Thillana, rendered by tall and attractive Shriya Vaidyanathan, the sentiment uppermost in the hearts of parents and children alike could only be one of enormous satisfaction. The audience was left with comfortable conviction that the moments spent in the midst of the gifted youngsters was truly time well spent! A time when budding talent and individual capacities blossomed forth most alluringly, in the glow of the sincere encouragement and approbation offered by a proactive audience!
Indian Fine Arts, Dubai, chose this occasion to bid farewell to an enterprising couple, R Muralidharan and Girija
Muralidharan, who, following several productive years in the Emirate, decided to leave Dubai and return to
Chennai.
During the tenure of their stay in Dubai, they were actively involved in the promotion of cultural activities and community functions including those of Indian Fine Arts, Tamil Ladies Association and others.
The current president of this organisation, K Kumar, together with his wife, Brinda Kumar, was also felicitated on his winning the prestigious Paramand Award of Dubai, for his tireless and exemplary service to the Indian community and Indian organisations in this country for the last several years.
Looking back… it was beyond doubt, a memorable evening.
Parvati Ganapathi
Dubai
ganpap@hotmail.com
|
