EMPOWERMENT OF WOMANHOOD
- Guru Vijay Shankar
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Arka Kala Kuteera (Bengaluru), presented Arka Kalasambrama-15 programme to mark International Women’s Day on March 8 at Arka Theatre,JP Nagar,Bengaluru. It was amazing to watch the varied facets of women with divine manifestations, performed by three group of accomplished Bharata Natyam dancers, Reshma Shreenath and Shruthi P Ravikumar, Bhavana Kanthy and her disciples and the Rupesh’s Arangham ensemble. It was gratifying to watch the dancers dancing with complete involvement and devotion, creating a lasting impression on the compact audience that largely consisted of children and women.
The programme commenced with Krishna Pravaha- Flow of Krishna, performed by Reshma Sreenath and Shruthi P Ravikumar of Bhanumathi Nrityakalamandiram. Exploring the varied facets and manifestations of Lord Krishna as the Yadava Hero of benevolence and spiritual grandeur, Bhuvana Sundarana, nayika yearning for Lord Krishna and ultimately the twin concept of Hari and Hara in Tarali Ranne interpreting Purandara Vitthala, formed the highlight of the presentation. As the Yadava Hero, the Gopis are smitten by beauty and his magnifying presence. In the Maharaas, Krishna is seen dancing with all of them,each Gopi feels Krishna is her partner and they rejoice with happiness. In Bhuvana Sundarana, Radha is unable to bear the pangs of separation and waits anxiously to meet Krishna. As Vitthala, the Lord is perceived as both Hari and Hara. The performance pertains to Madhura Bhakti with philosophical overtones and the entire presentation is noteworthy for being spiritually evocative narrative, enacted well by Reshma and Shruthi.
The Samanvaya ensemble presented “Stree” led by Bhavana Kanthy and her talented disciples. Blessed by the energies of the Trinity and the Devas, the Goddess is prepared to face any evil force or demon, she emerges victorious as the destroyer of Mahisha,hence is known as Mahishasura Mardini and the goddess is also known for her omnipotent benevolence and universal motherhood. Bhavana as the goddess was quite dramatic and brilliant too, creating an indelible impression due to her powerful command over Abhinaya. Bhavana is the director of Samanvaya and is credited for having performed in various prestigious festivals in India and overseas.
Dancers from Arangam – Rupesh’s Institute of Arts commenced their sparkling Bharata Natyam performance with Goddess Saraswati, who is the consort of Lord Brahma and the goddess for learning and knowledge, performed by Manmatha Pai and Vijetha R Nair, music by Ananya, followed with a Kannada Javali-“Nodida Kshanave”portrays the ardent love of the Gopika and the excitement they experience when they get a glimpse of Lord Krishna, performed by Greeshma P Manohar,Meghna Manoj and Shriya Shibu. The “Piece-de-resistance” of the evening was the Janaki Koutvam in praise of Sita. The birth of Sita, Rama and Sita meeting for the first time and the Sita Swayamvaram formed the highlight of this number. The dynamic dancers concluded their performance with Shadaksharam in praise of Lord Murugan. It was exciting to watch the dancers performing with fine synchronisation and vivacious quality.
Arka Kala Kuteera is a vibrant centre dedicated to the promotion and nurturing of Indian performing arts, Founded in 2017 as Nritya Priya Dance Academy, later renamed Arka Kala Kuteera in 2022, the institution is committed to preserving the beauty and discipline of classical art forms, especially Bharata Natyam. Under the vision and guidance of its founder and artistic director, Guru Bhanupriya Rakesh, Arka Kala Kuteera has become a platform for aspiring dancers to learn, perform and grow in the field of classical dance. Teenaged disciples of Guru Bhanupriya – Parmitha and Dhyuti Bhasker were the fine comperes of the evening and the photography was by Shreshta Sudish.
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