March 9TH | SATURDAY

We will be presenting 

Ramya Ramnarayan

who will be performing 

Varnam : entanI nE delupudurA

Ragam : Kamas

Talam : Rupakam 

Composition : Thiru Kadugai Namashivaya Pulavar 

Music Composition : Subarama Dikshitar

Choreography by : Ramya Ramnarayan

The varnam I have chosen to perform was written in the 1800s and was set to music, & adapted to the varnam format sometime after that. These vintage compositions are a treat by itself let alone the dance element unfold in front of the Rasika. Personally I feel some of the poetic language used in such varnams are no longer in current compositions. These pieces keep us connected with musicians, dancers and Tamil language from the past.

FOLLOWED BY TWO SHORT ITEMS

Sri Thina Subramaniam

Padam : Indenthu Vachitivira

Ragam : Surutti

Talam : Misra Chapu

Choreography adapted by : Sri Thina Subramaniam (Original Choreography by Mavin Khoo)

 INDENTHU VACHITIVIRA, a padam depicting a Khanditha Nayika, the opening line translate into “why have you arrived here now? That girl’s house is not on this street, please leave. There has been a huge range of Khanditha associated with this Padam, but to me this padams is about bluring the lines between the many different states of the Nayika. I personally do not experience an emotion in issolation, when I am sad am also angry. When I am angry I am sometimes also frustrated, and all of this gets even more confusing when it is towards the person you love. Join me explore my feeling towards Krishna who’s come knocking at my door after having visited many others.

Srinidhi Raghavan

Ragam : Raagamaalika

Talam : Talamaalika

Choreography by : Srinidhi Raghavan

KUNTI, is part of a larger production - Voices - that Srinidhi Raghavan conceived of and choreographed, and has since performed in London, Rome, New York, Paris, Chennai and Bergamo. The larger production talks about specific moments in people's lives when a voice (internal or external, imagined or real) changed the course of that person's life. This episode on Kunti was one of the pieces within Voices that reflected this theme. 

March 10TH | SUNDAY

We will be presenting 

Nitya Narasimhan

who will be performing  

Varnam : Mohamaginen

Ragam : Karaharapriya

Talam : Adhi 

Composition : Late Shri. K.N. Dandayudhapani pillai.

Dance Composition : Smt Shweta Prachande

(The varnam uses traditional Vazhuvoor jathis. The tisra jathi was composed by Sri Rakesh KP)

Music credits

Vocal Binu V Gopal

Nattuvangam Rakesh KP

Mridangam Siva Prasad

Violin Easwar Ramakrishnan

In my childhood, varnams struck me as repetitive and overly simplistic. As a young adult, I questioned the recurring theme of a yearning nayika, wondering why we continuously explored this narrative. However, as I mature with this art form, I find myself humbled by the sheer brilliance of varnams and see why they are the crowning jewel of the Bharatanatyam margam. The profound complexity hidden within a seemingly straightforward line, such as "mohamaginen indha velayil," has been truly mind-blowing. Beyond the haunting beauty of the Karaharapriya ragam and the wonderfully poetic lyrics of this varnam, working on this composition has been a profoundly rewarding learning experience. Its through this varnam that i have began to truly understand the approach to abhinaya specifically for a varnam, how much the dancer has to work to define, inhabit and own a nayika in the varnam as opposed to padams or javalis, how the most simple ideas or even jathi can sometimes be the hardest to effectively translate. For this an much more, this varnam will forever hold a special place in my heart

FOLLOWED BY

Kirtana Krishnan

who will be performing 

Varnam :  Innum En Manam

Ragam : Charukesi

Talam : Adhi

Music Composition : Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman

Choreography by : Shijith N Parvathy.

Jathi composition, Nattuvangam by : Shijith Nambiar

Vocal - Deepu Nair

Mridangam - Shiva Prasad

Violin- Easwar Ramakrishnan

Flute- Sruthy Sagar

Like the nayika's love for lord Krishna, Innum En Manam holds a special place in my heart. When I first heard this varnam and watched my guru dance to it, I fell in love with the melody and the way its poetry was so effortlessly brought forth through dance. However, learning this varnam myself has made me appreciate it on a deeper level. To me, one thing that makes this varnam and its choreography special is its beauty in the pauses—where the ragam's melancholy nature and the nayika's longing for Krishna permeates to new heights. Overall, this varnam has been instrumental in my journey as a dancer, and I'm excited to share it with everyone at Varnam Salon.