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Condamore, Daksha Divakar, Nisha Kumar, Ritika Kumar,<br />
Niharika Jain<br />
The Chhandam Youth Dance Company represents the Chhandam<br />
School of Kathak Dance, the largest Classical Indian Dance institution<br />
with branches in 6 Bay Area locations, Los Angeles, Boston, Kolkata<br />
and Mumbai. CYDC was established in 2002 to provide young dancers<br />
with access to professional training and performance opportunities in<br />
Kathak dance by Pandit Chitresh Das. Youth Company members<br />
undergo a rigorous training program in dance technique, the intricate<br />
rhythmic system of North Indian classical dance and music, as well as<br />
the dance theory, history, philosophy and etiquette associated with the<br />
Kathak tradition and Indian culture. The CYDC has performed at<br />
the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Chicago International Kathak<br />
Festival, Youth Fest at ODC Theatre, and recently at Davies Symphony<br />
Hall with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Ballet.<br />
Principal member of Chitresh Das Dance Company, Charlotte Moraga,<br />
is the assistant to Pandit Das, and Director of Youth Company. For<br />
more information: www.kathak.org<br />
Dancers: Sonali Toppur, Jasmine Balsara, Rachna Gulati, Ritika<br />
Pai, Aahana Sahai, Aditi Amlani, Monica Chitre,Ria Parab, Divya<br />
Goel, Sneha Patkar, Neha Bhansali, Anushka Shah, Athena<br />
Nair, Mayuka Sarukkai, Kritika Sharma, Shruti Pai, Leela<br />
Amladi, Diti Kohli, Richa Patwardhan, Simran Arora, Aditi<br />
Maheshwari, Gauri Bhatnagar.<br />
Tarangini School of Kathak Dance was established by Smt.<br />
Anuradha Nag in 1992 in San Jose, California. It is an<br />
institution of learning that promotes interest in and the<br />
preservation of the rich heritage of Kathak dance. Over the last<br />
18 years she has been grooming hundreds of students in this<br />
age old tradition. Anuradha Nag had her initial training from<br />
Nataraj Parimal Krishna and later from veteran gurus-the<br />
legendary Padmavibushan Pandit Birju Maharaj and his<br />
foremost disciple Pandit Vijai Shankar. Before making USA her<br />
home she was a recommended artiste for the Sangeet Natak<br />
Akademi in India as well as the Indian Council of Cultural<br />
Relations. She was awarded the title of Sringar Mani by the<br />
Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai. Tarangini students get in depth<br />
training in all aspects of Kathak. Students have performed in<br />
various cultural shows including the Ethnic dance festival and<br />
also as part of Pandit Birju Maharaj’s troupe. Dancers: Shilpi<br />
Verma, Alpana Kaulgud, Richa Sharma, Elora Majumdar,<br />
<strong>Yuva</strong> <strong>Bharati</strong><br />
www.yuvabharati.org<br />
presents<br />
Kathak Festival<br />
By<br />
Shalini Saxena Dance Academy, Tarangini School of<br />
Kathak Dance and Chhandam Youth Dance Company<br />
April 3, 2010 , 4:00 pm<br />
at Albert Schultz and Janet Theater, Palo Alto, CA<br />
Program<br />
Chhandam Youth Dance Company<br />
Rangmanch, literally meaning colorful stage, is in raga Bairagi. The<br />
dancers use hastaks or mudras to portray aspects of puja while<br />
invoking the three dieties, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara.<br />
Composed by Pandit Chitresh Das.<br />
Tarangini School of Kathak Dance<br />
Shilpi Verma and Alpana Kaulgud will begin their recital with<br />
Saraswati Vandana in praise of the Goddess of learning.<br />
Choreography - Smt Anuradha Nag Music - Pandit Vijai Shankar<br />
Shalini Saxena Dance Academy<br />
Sakal Ban- Bandish<br />
The theme of the dance performances of Shalini Saxena’s school will<br />
be based on Bahaar or springtime. The dancers create beauty, set the<br />
mood, and delight the audience with very melodious and vibrant music<br />
especially composed for the dance academy. The artists begin by<br />
celebrating this wondrous season where they explore the nuances of<br />
Bahaar in dance form. The graceful peacocks, the deer, and birds<br />
enjoy the onset of rain and thunder.<br />
Chhandam Youth Dance Company<br />
Kathak Yoga, an innovation within tradiiton developed by Pandit<br />
Chitresh Das requires the dancer to become one with the traditional<br />
elements in Classical Indian Dance and Music: taal, laya, theka or<br />
nagma, tutkar, and tihai. The ultimate meditation in motion, Kathak<br />
Yoga, is being hailed as an "eye-opening" and "ground-breaking"<br />
phenomenon in Kathak. Students will be singing nagma in raga<br />
Kalashri. Performed by Sonali Toppur, Ritika Pai, Rachna Gulati,<br />
Jasmine Balsara, Monica Chitre, Aditi Amlani, Sneha Patkar
Shalini Saxena Dance Academy<br />
Tum Umar Ghumar Kar Chalte Ho<br />
This musical piece is a beautiful combination of pure and expressional<br />
dance forms. It is characterized by rhythmic footwork, breathtaking<br />
pirouettes, and short pieces of Kathak that are complete in<br />
themselves. The dancers express their joy at the arrival of this<br />
charming season of Spring.<br />
Tarangini School of Kathak<br />
Tarana in Kalavati Composed by Pandit Birju Maharaj<br />
Performers Aashna Sinha, Shivalee Talati and Ashna Thaker will be<br />
presenting the pure dance form of Kathak through a musical<br />
composition called Tarana. A Tarana has no lyric. In place of lyric are<br />
bols, which are syllables like Dim, Derena, Tanum etc. Taranas are<br />
usually fast paced and contain different pure dance items containing<br />
small compositions of bols with graceful body movements, intricate<br />
footwork along with fast pirouettes which showcase the dancer’s skill<br />
and precision. It is set to a rhythmic cycle of 12 beats known as Ektal<br />
and is based on Raga (mood) Kalavati.<br />
Intermission<br />
Tarangini School of Kathak Dance<br />
Thumri composed by Pandit Birju Maharaj<br />
Alpana and Shilpi will perform a thumri composed by late Bindadin<br />
Maharaj. Radha express anguish at Krishna’s ched-chad. She<br />
describes the various ways he torments her and implores him to listen<br />
to her pleas. This thumri was adopted in the movie Devdas, illustrating<br />
the beauty & flexibility of the kathak repertoire. “Kahe Ched Chede<br />
Mohe Garva Lagayi” music by Pt. Birju Maharajji, composition by late<br />
Bindandin Maharajji. Dance choreography by Anuradha Nag.<br />
Shalini Saxena Dance Academy<br />
Tarana in Raag Bahaar. A tarana is a vocal style in Indian music in<br />
which random syllables composed of taal, raag, and nadh are used in a<br />
very fast rendition. This style was invented by the famous poet or<br />
musician Amir Khusro. This performance demonstrates rhythms which<br />
are layered with rapid percussive footwork interwoven with graceful<br />
movements and ending with crisp poses. This particular piece exhibits<br />
the energy which emanates from this exhilarating and challenging<br />
dance form.<br />
Chhandam Youth Dance Company<br />
Kaliya Damon, a traditional gat bhao, in which Krishna battles the<br />
serpent demon Kaliya and emerges victorious, is being performed as<br />
Kathak Yoga by junior members of the CYDC. The dancer sings,<br />
dances, and recites simultaneously while portraying abhinaya<br />
through the different characters in this ancient classic.<br />
Composed by Pandit Chitresh Das.<br />
Tarangini School of Kathak Dance<br />
Khoj in Teental or 16 beats<br />
Composed by Taufiq Qureshi and Debashis Sarkar<br />
“ Khoj” the literal meaning is “to search”. The theme is based on the<br />
predicament of the Gopis(female friends) after Lord Krishna( the<br />
Almighty) leaves Vrindavan. Anuradha has tried to portray the pain in<br />
their minds from the realization that they are not going to see, feel the<br />
touch, or encounter their most beloved person anymore - they are left<br />
with nothing but the beautiful memories. With the onset of monsoon<br />
the sorrow of separation becomes overwhelming as all the memories<br />
come flooding in. Yet, in these moments of deep sadness, they rejoice<br />
in the dance they had done together with “Him". They embrace the<br />
eternal peace of acceptance – as they cherish their many different<br />
relationships with Lord Krishna – some as mothers, others as lovers<br />
and devotees – the reality of his absence is fulfilled by the memories<br />
of his eternal presence. They dance in ecstasy as if they have become<br />
one with Him. The dance piece blends in all the traditional aspects of<br />
Kathak covering both pure dance aspect through a Tirana, a musical<br />
piece which is replaced by rhythmic syllables and comprising of<br />
complex footwork, graceful and lyrical movements of the Lucknow<br />
gharana along with swift pirouettes and also bring in the mimetic<br />
aspects of the dance style through an expressional song. Performers<br />
are Richa Sharma, Elora Majumdar, Shilpi Verma and Alpana Kaulgud<br />
Chhandam Youth Dance Company<br />
Tarana in Raga Maulkauns composed by Pt Chitresh Das<br />
This tarana is performed by the entire CYDC, ages 8-18 and highlights<br />
the four aspects of Kathak: tayare (preparedness with strong<br />
technical ability), laykari (understanding of rhythm and ability to<br />
improvise -- upaj is a very important part of Kathak) , khubsurti and<br />
nazakut (beauty and nuances of the dance).<br />
Participating Schools and Artistic Directors<br />
Shalini Saxena hailing from a family steeped in the rich traditions of<br />
music and dance, received her initial training in Kathak from Pandit<br />
Lachu Maharaj, uncle of the distinguished Pandit Birju Maharaj. In the<br />
Bay Area, Shalini Saxena has been successfully operating Shalini<br />
Saxena Dance Academy for twenty years, passing on the tradition of<br />
classical Kathak to students of all ages. She has been invited to serve<br />
as a judge in internationally well known dance competitions sponsored<br />
by CCF and Sony Televesision. Last month, she was awarded for<br />
Outstanding Contribution to Arts and Humanities by the Indo-American<br />
Chamber of Commerce. Her students have participated in numerous<br />
local community shows and won several trophies in competitions.<br />
Dancers: Manya Condamore, Sapna Saxena, Shreya
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