DANCE FESTIVAL - BHARATHAM TRIKAALAM

The huge audience turnover at the just concluded five day Bharatanatyam dance festival Bharatham Trikaalam (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) proved that the vitality of the art depends on its ability to find new expressions according to changing times, without diluting the basics fundamentals of the Natya Shastra.

The festival - A thematic presentation, organised by the Dance wing - Natyarangam, of the Narada Gana Sabha, was yet another effort to create new dimensions to Indian Classical dance, by bringing together creative talent of dancers, poets, scholars and musicians who worked together to produce unique and well choreographed pieces.

The highlight of the festival though was Dr Padma Subrahmanyam's programme on Dharma -the timeless and all pervading. She held the audience spellbound with a sensitive portrayal of the theme. A word of commendation also for the unobtrusive and excellent musical support and the aesthetic stage décor, which enhanced the overall effect of the programmes presented during the festival.

The dancers for the five day festival at the Sathguru Gnanananda hall included Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Shailaja, Srividya Natarajan, Urmila Sathyanarayanan, Meenaskshi Chitharanjan, Rajesh Kumar, Priyadarshini Govind, Indira Kadambi, Vasantalakshmi and Narasimhachari. The festival also honoured the well known Kalakshetra Guru Sarada Hoffman and gave away endowment awards to T.K.Padmanabhan (Musician and Composer), Jayanthi Subramaniam (Senior dancer) and N.Srikanth (Talent promotion).

Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, at the valedictory function aptly remarked "We must all learn to live in time and timelessness - the quintessence of Indian philosophy.' Bharatham Trikaalam helped considerably in conveying this message.

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