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| ULLAS PRASANNAKUMAR - BHARATANATYAM DISCIPLE OF SHRI RAGHU NANDAN S ABHIVYAKTI, BANGALORE WWW.ABHIVYAKTIDANCE.COM CLICK HERE FOR INVITE CARD - 28TH NOV 2015 |
Ullas Prasanna Kumar
Ullas, son of Smt.S.Lakshmi and Sri.S.Prasanna Kumar started showing signs of interest in Bharatanatyam at a young age and was encouraged by her parents to learn the divine art form. He started learning basics of Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Vidwan Sri.Raghunandan, Director of Abhivyakthi Dance Center, Bangalore for the past 8 years and completed senior exam KSEEB in the same along with B.A degree under the guidance of Karnataka Kalasri Guru Sri.B.K.Shyam Prakash at Keshava College of Music and Dance. He has actively participated in the performances organised by Abhivyakthi Dance Center like Nrithya Medha, Nrithya Vaividhyam, Swatantra Sambhrama and many more. He has also attended major dance workshops organised by the institution.
Ullas as not only shown passion in Dance but he is doing great in Academics too. Currently he is pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in computers at St. Joseph’s Evening College, Bangalore. He wants to take his passion of dance into further serious heights and wants to be one of the best dancers of next generation.
He has given performances in Baroda, Ottapalam, Bhubaneswar, khajuraho and many other places under the guidance of his Guru Sri. Raghunandan. He has also been given opportunity to perform under the banner of Abhivyakti at Nataraja Nrityotsav 2015 in Mysore and other dance festivals.
Ullas aspires to reach greater heights both in the field of Classical Dance and in his academic Career. He expresses his immense gratitude to the Almighty, his Parents, his Gurus and his relatives for their unbound support and encouragement to be what he is today and to reach this platform.
UPCOMING RECITAL - REPERTOIRE
Sl.no
|
Item
Name
|
Raga
|
Tala
|
Composer
|
1
|
Pushpanjali
|
Chandracouns
|
Adi
|
Vid
Sri .Raghu Nandhan.S
|
2
|
Allaripu
|
Nil
|
Khandachapu
| |
3
|
Jathiswara
|
Vasantha
|
Adi
| |
4
|
Varnum-Swami
nan unran
|
Nata
|
Adi
| |
5
|
Anandha
Narthana ganapathi
|
Adi
| ||
6
|
Devarnama-Ee
Pariya
|
Khandachapu
|
Sri.Purandara
Dasa
| |
7
|
Padam
| |||
8
|
Tillana
|
Sri
Raga
|
Adi
| |
9
|
Mangalam
|
Madhyamavati
|
Khandachapu
|
Pushpanjali
Raga
Natai Tala
:
Adi
Pushpanjali
is an introductory item in a Bharatanatyam recital. It performed as means of
offering prayers and respects to Lord Nataraja, Astha Dikpalakas, the musician
ensemble and finally the Audience seeking their blessings and co-operation for
the success of the program. This is followed by a Slokam where in the artiste
seeks the blessings Lord Ganapathi to make the program free of all obstacles
and make it a grand success.
Alaripu
Tala:
Khanda Eka
The
alaripu is done at the beginning of the performance and is done in three
tempos. Alaripu means blossoming of body mind & soul. Alaripu is done in
samabhangi, Aramandi, purnamandi, with intricate adavus and mukthaya towards
the end. This nrutha item symbolises offering prayer to God, to the stage and
to preceptors and elders.
Jathiswaram:
Raga:Vasantha Tala:Adi
This is pure Nritta item set to tune
(ragam) in particular rhythm (thalam). Jathiswasram includes Jathi
(sollukattu), Pallavi, Anupallavi and one or more Charanas. There are no any
sahityam passages present, the whole composition is sung using swaras (solfa
patterns).
Thus, Jathiswaram could be defined as
"musical comosition without sahitya, which melody progressively
becomes more comlex in sense of rhythm."
The meaning of Nritta, pure dance, is
using the God given body and limbs we create as many forms of beauty as
possible through flow of poses and movements connected together by rhythm and
music. Beauty and inner joy of dance is the only meaning of Nritta. It does not
have any particular mood or sentiment. It produces aesthetic pleasure.
In answer to question asked by the
sages, Bharata explained: "The dance is occasioned by no
specific needs. It has come into use because it creates beauty."
Jathiswarams brings out three aspects
of dance: unity of music, rhythm and movements. Ragam and thalam are the major
aspects of Jathiswaram.
Raga can be understood as special
musical space where certain patterns of swaras or tunes live in. Raga has it
own mood. It guides flow of melody as cannel guides the river.
Thalam and kalam (tempo) give feeling
of time. They make melody move on, define how fast it should flow.
Besides general thalam and kalam of
music composition, which are constant, each dance adavu has its own rhythmic
pattern. Sequences of adavus are fitting inside avartanam as sketches are
fitting pages of drawing album.
Jathiswaram reminds me mountain
river: streams of melodies appear here and there divided by stones of rhythmic
patterns spread all along the main cannel of Ragam, bending gently to and fro,
following shape of the mountain.
Message of Jathiswaram is beauty. It
is pure Nritta item, thus anga shuddha (proper postures and movements) in
combination with flow of melody and rhythm should evoke sense of harmony and
joy of dance in hearts of spectators.
Jathiswaram includes one Jathi
(adavus set to sollukattu, without any music) and several Korvays set to
swaras. Jathiswaram begins with brick and fast Jathi, then two or three korvays
set to Pallavi are executed. The next is one korvey set to Pallavi in
combination with Anupallavi. Then follow several Korvays set to Charanas.
Jathi and Korvays are concluded with Mai adavu set to Pallavi. Mei adavu is very
characteristic for Jathiswaram. It comprises mandatory body bents and rotations
erformed along with steps when dancer is moveing to right and left sides at
first and then backwards, or to diagonals. Mai adavu could be inserted after
each Jathi and Korvay (in theory), but it would be quite monotonious to see,
thus choreographers put Mai adavu after Jathi (as a rule) and them after the
second of third Korvay and the last Mai adavu concludes Jathiswaram after
comletion of the last korvay.
Famous Jatiswarams are composed in
ragas Kalyani, Chakravakam, Arabi, Vasanta, Saveri, Kamas.
Varnam:
Raga:Nata Tala:Adi
Varnam is the most complicated item of Bharatanatyam Margam comprising
either Nritta or Nritya aspects. Main mood of
Varnam may be either Sringara or Bhakti (devotion
expressed through love to God, called Bhakti-Sringara).
In Varnam Nayaki (the
heroine) addresses her Lord directly or indirectly (by appealing to her close
friend, Sakhi, asking help and convey her message). She requests help, laments,
reproaches or expresses her love and devotion. In Varnam the God is considered
as Nayaka (the hero), i.e. abstract idea of God finds its
manifestation in God-like human creature.
Varnam comprises of two parts:
1) First
part is called Purvaranga and includes Pallavi, Anupallavi, Muktai
Swara and Muktai Swara Sahityam.
2) The
second part is called Uttaranga and comprises Charanam and Charana
swaras (also called as Chitta Swaras, short notes).
Varnam
commences with Trikala Jathi. Sollukattus (garlands of syllables) and corresponding
series of adavus are executed in three speeds (kala-s): vilambha, madhyama and
druta. The last portion of Trikala Jathi is called Kuraippu. Adavus of
Kuraippu are performed without repetition. Muktaippu is finishing
sequence of Kuraippu, final chain if adavus called makuta or teermana adavus
executed in triple cycle.
Trikala
Jathi (and all other jathi) are followed by Aradi (rhythmical patters used as
conclusion of Nritta portions accompanied by footwork.)
Besides
Trikala Jathi, Purvaranga portion of Varnam includes Kuraippu (performed
separately) and several different jathi-s, intermingled with singing of Pallavi
and Anupallavi.
Each Chitta
swara is repeated twice. The dancer performs short and brick Korvai-s. Chitta
swara sahityam follows, also repeated twice. First time Chitta swara is
illustrated with pure abhinaya. The second rendering of sahityam is accompanied
by tattu-mettu adavu or Sarpa nadai.
Varnam is
concluded with Charanam. Charanam is the heart of Varnam, the most emotionally
charged line of sahityam. It expresses the main idea, the message the heroine
seeks to convey to her beloved. Often it is formulated as a question (How can I
bear the shower of Manmada arrows?), sometimes as imperative sentence (Please,
come back my beloved!) which contains more or less evident hint or suggestion,
hidden intention and innermost wish.
Varnam
starts by Pallavi. Varnam is composed as a conversation, thus it stars from
afar. Pallavi may comprise a question in rhetoric form (Why are you angry?) or
direct addressing which emphasizes some quality or condition of the hero.
Anupallavi
contains further description of nature, virtues, qualities and deeds of the
hero.
Muktai swara
sahityam contains some myth or story taken from life of the hero which is very
illustrative of his character and helps to understand nature of relationship
between the hero and the heroine.
Charanam is
emotionally charged plea of the heroine. Here she reaches the point of her
conversation, revels her inner attachment and wishes.
In sahityam
of Chitta swaras the heroine develops her intentions. Using myths or stories as
examples she describes her attitude and relation to the hero. Here she freely
expresses her emotions relating the hero, his qualities and deeds. She opens her
heart to full extent. Faster tempo of the second part, brick Nritta and
emotionally charged, very different swaras give bright picture of heroine’s
inner feelings.
The
interesting feature is that after each Chitta swara sahityam Charana swara
sahityam is repeated. This has special meaning. Sometimes Charanam is called
‘ettakadai pallavi’. They say that each Chitta swara sahityam may be properly
understood only if followed by Charanam.
Devaranama:
Raga: Tala:KandhaChapu
Devaranamas
(names of the Lord/God) were the bhakti compositions that were the outcome of
the bhakti movement in South India, especially Karanataka during 13th century
to 14th century CE, whose main objective was to promote "daivata"
philosophy of Madhvacharya through literature.
The compositions were by Haridasas who were saints, philosophers or plain
wandering bards who considered themselves as the servants of the lord. Thus,
this part or section of literature came to be known as "dasa sahitya"
or the literature of the servants of the Lord.
The Haridasas belonged to the 'Vaishnava' school of thought in Hinduism and
worshipped Vitthala, who is a manifestation of Krishna and all his forms.
Krishna is considered as an incarnation if Lord Vishnu.
Though the compositions were mainly on the concept of Hari bhakti and are about
Hari or Krishna, a few composers also composed devaranamas using social values,
morals and virtues as a theme. There are devaranamas composed on goddesses too.
These compositions took an important and prominent place not only in the world
of literature, but also in the vast field of art, especially
Bharatanatyam.
Tillana :
Raga:SriRaga Tala:Adi
Tillana is
the concluding item in the classical dance recital. It consist of brisk, fast
and intricate movements of pure dance or the Nritta. The artiste perform with
intricate foot movements which is a treat to watch for the audience. The brief
Sahitya is in praise of goddess Bhuvaneshwari.
Raga :
Athana Tala: Rupakam
This is
followed by Mangalam - Jayasesha Shyayanaya depicting 10 incarnations of Lord
Vishnu
Raga :
Madhyamavati Tala: Khandachapu
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