Vocals: KUM DEEPTI SHROFF B Deepti Shroff, an upcoming Carnatic Classical Vocalist, is a graceful blend of many talents and accomplishments. Having been introduced to the Classical arts at the tender age of H five, she has had the rare opportunity of learning from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Professor TN Krishnan and, at present, Vidhusi Suguna Purushotthaman. Deepti has been performing A at the Chennai music season for the past four years, has sung in Banglore’s Ananya Sabha, and frequently performs at the Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam. In addition to being a vocalist, she is also a trained Bharathanatyam dancer and a Mridangist. By putting R together the thala-gyana from Mridangam and the Bhavam from Dance, Deepti is able to utilize her diverse A training to make her performance of Carnatic music – a complete rainbow. T Mridangam: SRI SUDHINDRA RAO Shri. Sudhindra Rao, a seasoned Mridangam and Kanjira player, hails from illustrious family of musicians. his grandfather Vidwan shri. Ugra narasimha Charya was a court A musician in the royal Mysore palace and was an eminent harikatha vidwan. Sudhindra learnt Mridangam under Karnataka Kalashree Vidwan M.Vasudeva rao and has been N performing since age of 13. He has performed with several leading Carnatic musicians and at prestigious music sabhas in India, including USA. He has accompanied several Carnatic A music stalwarts and leading musicians. He has also directed many percussion ensembles showcasing rare instruments and has won best percussion player in Kanjira by south Central cultural zone, India, several other awards like aryabhata youth award, and several university awards for Mridangam and Kanjira performance. T Sudhindra has performed as graded artist, playing Mridangam and Kanjira for all India radio Bangalore. He has served as program Director at Indian Classical Music and Dance society for several years and started Y the “Laya sinchana” an organization promoting Laya (rhythm) and has been teaching numerous children in A Mridangam and Kanjira. M Violin: VIKRAM RAGUKUMAR Vikram Ragukumar, had his initial training under legendary violinist Vidwan H.V. Krishnamurthy at Vijaya College of Music, Bangalore. Vikram later had intensive training from All India Radio “ A” grade Violinist Vidwan B. Raghuram. Vikram has performed extensively in India and abroad as an accompanist .Vikram also performs Solo violin A concerts & has been accompanying dance performances. He has accompanied on the violin several popular artistes like R Sri Vidyabhushana, Whistle wizard K.Sivaprasad Bharathnatyam exponent A Smt. Rama Vaidyanathan and many others. Flute: SRI PARTHA AJI N Partha - a multi-faceted musician with rich musical experience and Masters in Computer science- is a much sought after G flautist for south Indian dance performances. Under the tutelage of Sri V.K. Raman, Partha has been expanding his musical repertoire for the past years. As a flautist he has widely E toured the United States and has performed in over 50 arangetrams. In addition to the flute Partha plays the mridangam, ghatam, T kanjira and morsing. Having completed his senior exams as mridangist in Bengaluru under the tutelage of Sri SV Giridhar, he has performed in R several concerts in India and US. He often combines this versatility and Labannya provides a percussive texture to dance jathis based on the needs of the dance item. Partha spends most of his spare time on the propagation of A indian music and looks for greater innovations in his art. M PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN BY CATERSON MEDIA | WWW.CATERSON.COM Samanta Student LABANNYA SAMANTA was born in Kolkata, Thillana India. She was a playful toddler but has grown up to be a thoughtful and RAGA: Hindola understanding young adult. At the age of four, she started learning Bengali TAALA: Adi Taala folk dance under Guru Sri Naresh Kumar Pillai at Banichakra - a school Thillana is a grand finale item with full of filled with art, musical and dance talents. She performed her first dance complicated movements, intricate patterns and sculpturesque postures. This item also show at Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata when she was five. Since then, Labannya has complicated Muktayas or Sholkattu, has continuously been engaged in dance and art. She has taken part in several ending of any step or aduvu. This item is mainly a nritta piece which has a charana (a lyrical performances at her school, at special occasions, and in other places under the passage) in praise of lord Nataraja seeking his training of Guru Sanghamitra Podder in Saudi Arabia and Guru Manasi Saha blessings for the one who has dedicated in North Carolina. herself to this art form. Labannya had her initial training in Bharatanatyam under Guru Smt. Nisha Menon in Saudi Arabia. Under Guru Smt. Padma Rao’s tutelage, Labannya has conceptualized and honed her skills in Bharatanatyam to a level of being able to give a commendable performance. Apart from classical dance, she is also involved in other extracurricular activities such as art and ballet. She shows great enthusiasm towards Mangalam - painting. Currently, Labannya is a rising sophomore at Green Vande Mataram Vande Mātaram - “I praise thee, Mother” - is a poem Hope High School. She is from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1882 novel engaged in several clubs Anandamath. It is a hymn to the Mother Land - a at school like Hope Club, hymn to goddess Durga. It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in Beta Club, Art Club, and a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the Student Council. Labannya 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. In has always loved dance and 1950 (after India’s independence), the song’s first two verses were given the official status of the “national continues to express great song” of the Republic of India, distinct from the passion for it. national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana. Pushpanjali and Shloka Pada Varna RAAGA: Gambeera Naatai RAAGA: AmruthaVarshini TAALA: ADI TAALA TAALA: Adi Taala Pushpanjali and Shloka is an opening item which is a Pada Varna is the crown piece of a Bharatanatyam recital where the dancer combination of Nritta (pure dance) and Nrithya (use displays her skills in all the three aspects of Bharatanatyam: Nritta (pure of gestures and dance movements to interpret the lyrics). dance), Nrithya (use of gestures and dance movements to interpret Here the dancer pays obeisance to the God, the Guru, the lyrics), and Natya (story telling through Abhinaya - accompanying musicians, musical instruments, and the expressions). These lyrics can be devotional, praising audience. The dancer describes the virtue of the a king, etc. This Varna has shringara rasa (eternal omnipresent Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed love) as its theme. In this item the heroine God, who frees us from all the obstacles. (Nayika) proudly describes to her beloved Lord Ganesha is the master of education, friend - Prana Sakhi about her knowledge, wisdom, literature and fine arts. He hero (Nayaka) Venu is the bestower of supreme happiness to the world. Gopala’s pleasing personality and persuades her to go and bring him. Keerthana Jatiswara RAAGA: Raagamalika Shringaralahari TAALA: Mishra Chaapu Taala RAAGA: Neelambari TAALA: Jatiswara is a pure dance which showcases pure Adi Taala Nritta - the intricate mixing of jathis Keerthana - Shringaralahari is a composition of Mysore or rhythmic patterns. These Lingaraj Urs. The lyrics are addressed to Goddess Parvathi movements do not convey any which praises her as an embodiment of intoxicating beauty and meaning or theme. Complicated delight, forever entrancing her consort Lord Shiva. Goddess steps or “adavus” are weaved Parvati is described as a loving mother with full of compassion. together and rendered in different The lyrics praise Parvathi as - the Goddess who is extremely attractive patterns for the melodic beautiful with a beauty which caught Shiva’s attention and renditions. Jathiswara can won his heart. She is the one, with versatile talents in music have amazing postures and and dance. She is the one, who is like a flower attracting bees; theermanas or muktayas whose face is smeared with moonlight; whose heart blooms (ending of a jathi). with compassion like a lotus which blooms in the moonlight. She is the lady with the curly hair and worshiped by all. Devara Nama Guru SMT. PADMA RAO was trained to perfection in the field of Bharatanatyam Govinda Ninna by the well-known Bharatanatyam Guru Rajyotsava award winner Dr. Tulasi Ramachandra, director of Nrityalaya, Mysore. RAAGA: Janasammohini TAALA: Adi Taala Padma Rao has won many prizes and awards in many dance competitions and exams conducted by the Government of Devara Nama is a devotional piece where the lyrics Karnataka and scholarships for advanced learning from are in praise of Lord Krishna, who is otherwise Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy. known as Govinda. This is a pure abhinaya item with almost no emphasis on nritta. The lyrics say that She has a Masters and PGD in Computer Science from the “Govinda - your name is the sweetest of all”. The lyrics University of Mysore and is a national merit scholarship holder describe Govinda as the one who takes care of creation, from the Government of India. Having worked as a professor at Mysore Maharani’s Science College and as a software consultant at upkeep and destruction, understanding His greatness is Glaxo Smithkline RTP, she has an immense pleasure in dedicating indeed a perfect joy. The well-known episode of Krishna’s herself to the field of Bharatanatyam. Her creative abilities have ‘Vishwaroopa darshana’ to his mother Yashoda when Yashoda made her an ardent art lover and helped her to nurture her love for asks Krishna to open his mouth to check whether he had dance, music, drawing, painting, sculpting and jewlry making. eaten mud is depicted in this item. One can also perceive the She is the artistic director of Nrityanjali Academy of Dance (NAD), an institution par excellence in the Supremes’ work of creativity in creating this beautiful world.