THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sprawling lawns of Kanakakkunnu in the capital will reverberate with a bouquet of Indian classical dance performances with the Nishagandhi Dance Festival set to begin on Saturday. Renowned artistes from across the country will enthrall the audience with their performances in bharatanatyam, mohiniyattam, kuchipudi, kathak, manipuri, odissi and kathakali during the seven-day festival ending on January 26.
Governor P Sathasivam will inaugurate the dance festival at the Nishagandhi Auditorium, Kanakakkunnu, at 6.15 pm on Saturday. The function will be presided over by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
Addressing media persons, Kadakampally said the Nishagandhi Dance Festival has become a cultural extravaganza which the nation can proudly hold aloft. “The dance festival has become a prominent event in the tourism calendar of the country. The Nishagandhi Dance Festival has assumed a stature among cultural events of significance, with tour operators from across India marking the dates on their calendar,” he said.
As many as 200 applications have been received for participation in the dance festival, the minister said, adding the event has turned out to be among the most sought-after cultural events in India and Kerala Tourism has been receiving applications six months in advance from all around.
Nishagandhi Puraskaram
The legendary dancing duo V P Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan will be conferred the prestigious Nishagandhi Puraskaram at this year’s edition of the Nishagandhi Dance Festival.The Governor will bestow the honour on the bharatanatyam exponents at the inaugural event.The award carries a cash prize of `1.50 lakh, a statuette of sage Bharatha and a citation. This is for the first time artistes from Kerala are being bestowed with the Nishagandhi Puraskaram since its constitution in 2013.
The doyens of bharatanatyam, the Dhananjayans have redefined the art form in more ways than one. They are trend setters, bringing fresh waves of choreographic innovations and creativity within the traditional repertoire; a true inspiration for upcoming bharatanatyam dancers.
In 1968, the Dhananjayans founded Bharatakalanjali, an institution which seeks to promote and develop Indian art and culture by offering the best Gurukul system of training combined with a modern approach. The duo has undertaken collaborations with western choreographers and ballet dancers, while retaining the traditional essence of bharatanatyam, kathakali and other dance forms.
A jury, chaired by Former Chief Secretary and acclaimed lyricist K Jayakumar; art critic and writer Ashish Mohan Khoker; renowned dance exponent Ananda Sankar Jayant; art critic and writer Veejay Sai; Dr Venu V, former Tourism Secretary, and P Bala Kiran, Director-Kerala Tourism, chose this year’s winners.
Performances Galore
A kathak performance by Nadam Ensemble lead by Murali Mohan and Nandini Mehta will follow the inaugural event on day one. This will set in motion an array of splendid performances.
A delectable combination of two South Indian dance forms - mohiniyattam and kuchipudi - has been lined up to captivate audiences on the second day of the festival. The artists are Vidya Pradeep and Deepika Reddy respectively.
Bharatanatyam recital by Parshwanth Upadhye and a mohiniyattam performance by the state’s very own Kerala Kalamandalam will mark day three. A bharatanatyam performance by Padma Bhushan Alarmel Valli is the foremost attraction on day four. Girish Chandra and Devi Girish will stage a kuchipudi recital and the Kishiki Dance Academy led by Daksha Mashruwala will perform odissi on the same day.
Bharatanatyam by Rithu Prakash, kuchipudi by Pasumarthi Mruthyanjaya and kathak by Nadroop led by Sharma Bhate are the attractions on day five. The penultimate day will feature a bharatanatyam performance by Aparna Vinod, mohiniyiattam by Anusri and odissi by Rudrakshaya Foundation lead by Bichithrananda Swain.Bharatanatyam performance by Padma Sri Chithra Visweswaran and her group will bring the curtains down on the festival on January 26.
Kathakali Mela on all days
Aficionados of kathakali can savour a feast in the Kathakali Mela segment on all seven days. While ‘Rugmangatha Charitham’ will be staged on the opening day, ‘Nalacharitham Onnam Divasam’ will be performed on January 21. ‘Balivadham’ and ‘Banayudham’ will be performed on January 22 and 23 respectively.On January 24, ‘Nalacharitham Moonam Divasam’ will be performed. ‘Duryodhanavadham’ is the attraction for January 25. The Kathakali Mela 2018 will conclude with ‘Keechakavadham’ on January 26.
First for Kerala
Legendary dancing duo V P Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan will be conferred the Nishagandhi Puraskaram. The award carries a cash prize of C1.50 lakh, a statuette of sage Bharatha and a citation. This is for the first time artistes from Kerala are being bestowed with the Nishagandhi Puraskaram since its constitution in 2013