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W hat does a five-decade sadhana give to a practitioner? The sadhaka disappears, and the art speaks through the artist. What Dr. Sunanda Nair gave at Rose Theatre Brampton was a riveting 30–40 minutes of performance. The program, held on November 17, was part of the Umang Festival – Light of Hope, organized and curated by Mrudanga by Enakshi Sinha from Canada, supported by the Department of Heritage Canada and the Ontario Arts Council (OCAF). Sunanda Nair brought 'Adharam Madhuram' and 'Kubja' to the stage. When the artist speaks about what she is bringing to the stage, it feels better than an emcee reading it out. It is the emotions of the artist about the item, in their own voice, that come out, thereby giving life to the item even before it starts. Adharam Madhuram began by beautifully expressing Krishna's sweetness, slowly transporting us to the details. When he came to conso...

M ohiniyattam enthusiasts in Kolkata have reason to celebrate as renowned dancer and choreographer Pallavi Krishnan is set to inaugurate the Lasya Akademi of Mohiniyattam in her hometown. This new institution promises to be a beacon for the art form, offering a platform for dance lovers to immerse themselves in the nuances of this classical dance. With Pallavi's dedication to preserving the traditions of Mohiniyattam while bringing in new ideas, this academy is set to become an important cultural center in the city. Pallavi Krishnan is a celebrated Mohiniyattam performer, choreographer, and teacher with a career marked by artistic excellence and global impact. Trained under eminent gurus at Kerala Kalamandalam and Santiniketan, she has mastered the delicate balance of tradition and innovation, making her performances both deeply rooted and uniquely expressive. Her dedication to the art form has earned her numerous accolades...

R enowned 'Mizhavu' artist and Guru - Padmashri P.K. Narayanan Nambiar released a book ( Malayalam ) - 'Nrthya Sankethangal Mohiniyattathil' written by Dr. Geetha Sivakumar at Palakkad, Keralam. Over the years, different 'Baanis' or 'Traditions' had contributed a lot in the nourishment of Mohiniyattam. This book -'Nrtya Sankethangal Mohiniyattathil' focuses on 'Kalamandalam baani'.   ”Mohiniyattam, a lyrical dance form of Kerala, has a well structured 'prayoga' style in Kerala Kalamandalam Kalaries. This book tends to analyse the techniques of Mohiniyattam adopted by Kerala Kalamandalam so as to consider it as a Lasya Nrtya form. The queries on the techniques of nrtya such as what, why, where, when are the basic thought of this study. It is analysed on the basis of Sanskrit texts, which give us more scientific explanations and principles. ...

C leveland Thyagaraja Festival's Nrithya Seva Mani award will be presented to the renowned Mohiniyattam exponent Dr. Sunanda Nair. The title of Nrithya Seva Mani is bestowed upon an individual who has made a lasting contribution to Classical Dance through propagation and demonstration. Senior disciple of Pathmabhushan Dr Kanak Rele, Dr. Sunanda Nair is one of the foremost exponents of the art today. She is the first student to complete Masters Degree in Mohiniyattam in India. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam". She was in high school, while she started the Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts, which trains students both Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam, in 1980. She had performed all around the globe in prestigious venues and had received somany awards such as 'Kalarathnam’ from Kerala Kalamandalam(2016), 'Kalaasree' from the Kerala Sangeetha Natak Akadem...

T hird edition of ida dance fest was organized on 14th and 15th December 2019 at 'The Land of Lords and Looms' -Kannur, Kerala, a region famous for the Theyyams and Handlooms. On the first day, Kathak by Richa Guptha, Bharathanatyam by RLV Anand, Harinie Jeevitha & Bhairavi Venkatesan, Kuchipudi by Ruchi Krishna and Aavani Rakesh were presented. An item that depicted the story of Lord Ayyappa in Ragamalika set to Aadi thalam was presented by RLV Anand. Harinie Jeevitha & Bhairavi Venkatesan started their performance with an invocation to Lord Ganesha. Through their next item 'Ananada Natana Prakasam' of Shri Muthuswami Deekshithar, both Harinie and Bhairavi captured the attention of the audience. Due to the deviation from the Bharathanatyam's traditional style of music in the background, their next item 'Janani Jagathkarini' did effect the 'classical mood' of the performance. It is not that the choreography or performance ...

K alasamarpana Foundation, a notable academy that have been spreading and training the classical art forms, is completing Fifty Golden Years. It was founded by the Artist couples Guru Narasimhachari and Vasanthalakshmi in 1969. The program titled 'Swarnaanjali' will be conducted on 4th August 2019, Sunday at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai 5.00 PM - 5.45 PM at Lobby - A walk-through gallery showcasing rare photographs of The Narasimhacharis 5.45 p.m. Auditorium opens for seating. 6.00 - 8.00 p.m 'Swarnaanjali' - An offering of Natyam dedicated to Guru Narasimhachari featuring over 100 artistes.