Bharatanatyam Ashtanayika - Virahotkhantita
An exposition through a classroom session & demo by 'Padmabhushan' Kalanidhi Narayanan & Bragha G Bessell
This DVD regales you with a delectable fair of Nayikabhava with an exposition on Ashtanayikas- the heroines categorized by the natyashastras under 8 different heads according to their emotional status. In an exhaustive and aesthetic manner it presents the mindset, moods, conflicts, cogitations, tempers and tantrums of Virahotkhantita, the heroine who defies all accepted norms and ventures out to meet her lover at a predetermined place. The highlight of this product is a classroom session involving Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan, ('Maami' to her students), the greatest Abhinaya exponent of our times & Bragha G Bessell, her distinguished disciple. 'Aiyayyo Vegatayana', a padam by Kshetrayya forms the pivot of maami’s engaging elucidation of Virahotkhantita. Then follows a sprightly demo of this padam by Bragha G Bessell. In a long, no-holds-barred discussion, the attributes of each nayika are analyzed threadbare by the Guru who compares and contrasts Abhisarika with other nayikas to bring out the subtle differences between them.		Concept & Presentation by Priyadarsini Govind Explained with Aiyayyo Vegatayana - Padam - Nada namakriya - Trupuda talam - Kshetrayya   Exhaustive content Each DVD dedicated to 1 Nayika Clear guidelines to teachers & students Lively classroom session involving senior danseuses Freewheeling discussion based on a padam or javali Full length demo by an eminent dancer Options to view demo in 3 different angles (only in DVDs)
The lively and informal student-teacher interaction is marked by enlightening digressions that cover different heroines, different contexts and a host of padams and javalis from the repertoire of well-known composers. It brings into focus not only the intricacies of ayikabhava, but also the unique teaching methodology of Kalanidhi maami and the intensity of Guru-Sishya relationship which is the cornerstone of our culture. Maami provides some practical tips for teachers and also students at different levels- beginners, those reasonably well-trained and foreign students who are not very familiar with our cultural milieu. There is a wealth of information on how to approach the composition, understand its meaning and the mood it portrays before actually getting down to performance.

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