Lalithakalalaya School of Bharatanatyam’s Ninth Annual Concert
Lalithakalalaya School of Bharatanatyam’s ninth annual concert was filled with grace, energy, colour and displayed immense talent. Smt Padmalakshmi Sriram, guru and founder of the school, choreographed and curated all the dances. Her passion, talent and devotion to Bharatanatyam permeated throughout the evening staging about 190 students.
The first half was on the Shiva Kudumbam. The evening began with an invocation of Lord Ganesha by children who were only four years old. This was followed by Nottuswaram, again performed by the young, in praise of Goddess Meenakshi. It was a delight to see these young kids conscientiously displaying the basics they have been taught in their beautiful colourful costumes.
The junior students presented a number of items confidently displaying a greater depth of their Bharatanatyam skills. These items were the Pushpanjali – to evoke the blessings of the Almighty, Mishra Alarippu – set in 7 rhythmic cycles, Dheena Karunakarane – in praise of Lord Shiva and lastly “Maha Kali” – a vibrant keertanam in praise of Goddess Shakthi.
Guru Smt Padmalakshmi derives tremendous pleasure and satisfaction in teaching adults who either did not have an opportunity to learn Bharatanatyam or their learning was disrupted. She was immensely proud of all their performances. The items they presented were Swarajathi – an ode to lord Shiva, Mudras – the depiction of the 28 Asamyutha Hasthas (single hand gestures) and Thirrupugazh – a beautiful composition in praise of Lord Muruga.
The second part of the concert was the dance drama “Skanda Vaibhavam” – an exploration of the avatara and lilas of Lord Muruga, the second son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. The dancers showcased the narrative nuances of Bharatanatyam to reveal the myriad facets of Lord Muruga’s life and the stories of His six abodes.
Guru Smt Padmalakshmi Sriram opened the dance ballad by presenting a beautiful invocatory item foreshadowing the story of Lord Muruga. This was followed by an enactment of the story on the creation of Lord Muruga to free the devas from the cruelties of the 3 demons/asuras, Surapadman and his brothers Tarakasura and Simhamukha, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.
The childhood lilas of Lord Muruga, also known as Subramanya, were presented next. The most notable is the explanation of the origin of the Palani Temple, one of the abodes of Lord Muruga.
Lord Muruga’s marriage first to Devayanai and subsequently the various guises He took to win over Valli, the daughter of a tribal chief was very creatively and skillfully presented by the dancers.
Smt Padmalakshmi Sriram must be highly commended for her courage, tireless effort and creativity in using a large number of students, even very young children, to stage this drama. It is a mammoth task to effectively utilise the talents of the students and assign them the appropriate roles. The costumes, music and props used were very impressive. The dance drama was very educational, as it not only vividly presented the story of Lord Muruga, but also captured the moral and spiritual values, which is valuable for our youth.
It is noteworthy that Lalithakalalaya School of Bharatanatyam is associated with Griffin College of London and Smt Padmalakshmi Sriram is the Brisbane co-ordinator. The school’s pilot batch sat for their grade one and two exams last year and all of them secured a distinction and merit. They were awarded their certificates.
The program was meticulously planned to include and provide for the diversity of her students in age, skills and talent.
After this mega production of Skanda Vaibhavam, our school is gearing up for its next concert by our senior students titled: Raghava Madhava with our live ensemble/orchestra on 3rd of August 2024 at St. John’s Anglican College.
Authored by – Lalithakalalaya School of Bharatanatyam
