“Krishna as child, lover and God …….
… … . p l a y f u l , r o m a n ti c a n d a w e - i n s p i r i n g b y tu r n s … … . …….evoking wonder in Yas hoda, enchantment among the Gopis, devotion in Andal, yearning in Meera, ageless love in Radha, and unswerving dedication in Rukmini”
A Thematic Production in Bharatanatyam presented by students of Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai, India and Silambam, USA
An internationally acclaimed Bharatanatyam production, Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum was originally conceived and choreographed in 1989 by Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy, with music scored by Vidwan Madurai N. Krishnan, for the Madras Chapter of the International Dance Alliance. Since its premiere, Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum has been performed widely to packed audiences, and had a most successful tour of the United States in 1992. Fifteen years later, Padmashree Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy’s senior disciples, now performers and teachers in their own right, based in various locations in North and Central America, have come together to bring this premiere production back to the stage in the United States. Krishnam Vande Jatagurum takes the audience on a two-hour journey through the life and exploits of Krishna. Beginning with an invocation, the dancers depict the Dashavataram of Jayadeva, which presents the concept of Krishna as the Avatari. The narrative begins with the poet Andal as the Sutradhari or Narrator. Andal describes the baby Krishna with indulgent love and joy, and the audience is treated to the scene of the baby Krishna playing with Yashoda and the Gopis. We follow, with Andal, the growth of baby Krishna into a young and lovable mischief-maker, with Gopis complaining to the indulgent Yashoda of her son’s exploits. Following a joyous dance with Krishna, Yashoda and the Gopis, the mood shifts to wonder, with Yashoda praising her son’s prowess in lifting the Govardhana mountain. The first half of the production ends with Andal extolling her timeless love for her lord Krishna.
After a short intermission, the narrative is taken up by Meera. She describes the attributes of the adult Krishna, the enchanter of the Gopis. The next piece portrays the handsome Krishna dancing the Raas with the Gopis in Brindavan – a fast-paced masterpiece of choreography. The swiftness and exuberance of this piece is beautifully offset by the next, a Meera bhajan depicting the soulful yearning of Meera for Krishna. This interlude of Bhakti is followed by a playful exchange between Krishna and Radha, who is angry with him for flirting with other women. Meera, the narrator, then heralds the entry of Rukmini, setting the stage for the story of Krishna’s abduction of Rukmini at her request, and the joyous celebration and wedding that follows. The production ends with the Thillana, choreographed to reflect the playful Leela of Krishna that constantly surprises, confuses and astounds the women around him – Yashoda, Radha, Rukmini, Meera and Andal.
The Artistes:
Smt. Smitha Magal: One of the first students of Dr. Sudharani Raghupathy, Smitha began Bharatanatyam training at the age of 9, and performed her Arangetram in 1978. Having initially taught at Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai under the mentorship of her guru for several years, Smitha began her own dance school, SIlambam, in USA in 1992. She was awarded the title “Bharatha Kala Bhushana” in 1997 for her artistic prowess. She is a respected guru and well known performer, besides being on the board of the Columbus Carnatic Music Association. She was the recipient of Individual Artist Fellowship awarded by the Ohio Arts Council in 2001.
Smt. Nalini Prakash: A senior disciple of Sudharani Raghupathy, Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai Nalini Prakash is an accomplished Bharata Natyam dancer and has performed widely in India and also is an accomplished teacher. She is the Founder Trustee of Silambam, an institution of Bharata Natyam and allied arts in the Nilgiris region of India. Nalini is also the Secretary of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Nilgiris Kendra. Also, as a promoter of the arts, Nalini has been coordinating programs in educational institutions for SPICMACAY in the Nilgiris for the past 4 years. Nalini has a bachelor’s degree in Carnatic music and a master’s degree in Performing Arts (Bharatanatyam).
Smt. Srimathy Mohan: Srimathy’s training in Bharatanatyam started when she was 10 years old under Padmasri Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy. She performed her Arangetram in 1983 and has given several performances in India and the United States. Srimathy founded her Bharatanatyam school Silambam in Phoenix, Arizona in 2000, has since presented two full length productions. An engineer and mathematician by training, Srimathy is currently an assistant professor at the School of Global Management and Leadership at Arizona State University – West Campus.
Smt. Mridula Anand: Mridula began her Bharatanatyam training under Dr. Sudharani Raghupathy at the age of 9 and performed her arangetram in 1991 in Chennai. She has participated in several solo and group performances in Chennai and the United States, including major roles in several productions of Shree Bharatalaya. She has been awarded the title “Bharatha Kala Bhushana” in recognition of her talents in Bharatanatyam. Mridula started her school of dance, Silambam, in Pittsburgh in 2005. She has also served as the Cultural Chairperson of the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh. A biologist by training, Mridula is a researcher at University of Pittsburgh.
Smt. Lavanya Rajagopalan: Having begun her formal training at Shree Bharatalaya at the age of 9, Lavanya had her Arangetram in 1992. A graded artiste on Doordarshan, she has given several solo and group performances in India,and USA, and has also played leading roles in several productions of Shree Bharatalaya: " Ramayanam", " Shakti Prabhavam", " Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum", “ Vande Guham Uma Sutham”, She founded her own school of dance, Silambam, in Galveston and Pearland, Texas in 2002. She is on the board of directors of the Texas-based non-profit Ankur Arts Alliance. With a doctoral degree in biochemistry, Lavanya now conducts biomedical research at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
Smt. Prabha Dixit: Prabha hails from a family of erudite scholars and has been learning this art from Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy since the age of 9. Prabha has performed a number of solo recitals in leading sabhas in India. She was invited to perform at the Chinese Kite Festival at Melbourne and Ganesa Temple at New York. She has also participated in various dance productions of her guru, including “Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum”, “Shakti Prabhavam”, “Vande Guham Uma Sutham” and “Shankara Loka Shankara”. A Grade B artiste with Madras Doordarshan, Prabha was awarded the title ‘Yuva Kala Bharathi’ for dance; in December 2005 by Bharath Kalachar. Currently residing in Mexico, Prabha holds a Masters degree in Business Systems and is an IT Consultant by profession.
Kum. Sushma Sunil: Having learnt Bharatanatyam at Shree Bharatalaya from the age of 8, Sushma had her Arangetram in 2000, and has danced in several solo and group performances since. She was the recipient of a training scholarship from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), India from 1995 to 2002. Sushma has participated in several dance productions, including “Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum”, “Vande Guham Uma Sutham”, “Silappathikaaram” and “Shankara Loka Shankara” in which she played the lead role. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in biomedical Science at the University of California, Davis.
Kum. Preethi Ramaprasad: Preethi began her training under Padmashri Professor Sudharani Raghupathy, at the age of six. Since then, she has given solo performances both in the U.S.A and India. Preethi has also played the lead role in Shree Bharatalaya’s various productions, including “Vande Guham Uma Sutham,” “Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum,” “Shankara Loka Shankara” and “Ekameva Na Dvayam”. In 2001, Preethi was a recipient of the “Bharata Yuva Bhushana” award for young talented dancers. In 2004, she was a winner of the dance competition held by Indian Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Maryland. Preethi is also a student of Vocal Indian Classical music, and plays the violin. She currently attends Rutgers University.
Vijay Palaparty: Vijay Palaparty is a disciple of Sudharani Raghupathy, Shree Bharatalaya, Chennai Vijay Palaparty is a student of both Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi styles of Indian classical dance. He has studied Kuchipudi with Dr. Uma Rama Rao of Lasya Priya in Hyderabad and Bharata Natyam with Professor Sudharani Raghupahty in Chennai. He has performed throughout the United States and in India. Most recently he appeared in a Colgate University/Shree Bharatalaya production, Silappadikaram: The Tale of Puhar in Chennai. Vijay has performed in several Srishti Dances of India productions in Pittsburgh. Apart from dance, Vijay pursues graduate studies in literary and cultural studies and is also a professional writer.