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 ‘Soorya Performing Arts – Los Angeles’ launched - Subhashini Srinivas e-mail: susri79@gmail.com March 16, 2012 The Los Angeles branch of Soorya Performing Arts was launched on Saturday March 3rd at Krishna Vrindavana Temple in Woodland Hills. Guru Prasanna Kasthuri, the founder and artistic director of Soorya Performing Arts, was present to inaugurate the branch. Sushma Mohan who will head the Los Angeles branch of Soorya presented her students in a dance performance. After that, she presented popular dance items such as Ganesha Stuti and Natesha Kauvtvam, which was very well received by the audience. The young students of Soorya Performing Arts, LA Branch, put up an inspired performance under the able guidance of their teacher.
The highlight of the evening was an inspiring dance performance by Guru Prasanna. His item “Bagilanu Teredu,” Saint Kanakadasa’s masterpiece, left the audience teary eyed and spellbound. It is the story of how Kanakadasa, who was denied entry into the Krishna temple of Udipi for belonging to the low caste goes behind the temple and sings for the lord. It is believed that the statue of Lord Krishna itself turned to the back of the temple towards the devout Kanakadasa. Prasanna, with his master story telling sanchaari, mesmerized even the uninitiated. His dramatic rendition of Prahlada and Hiranyakashipu episode enthralled the first generation Indian-American crowd as did the turning of Lord Krishna where the audience broke into a rapturous applause.
The artists were honoured by the Krishna Vrindavana Temple who emphasised the need for such inspiring dance performances. The basic mission of Soorya Performing Arts is to enrich the cultural diversity and artistic excellence across the Greater United States of America. Already well known in the Mid-West for its national level dance and music festivals, Soorya now through its Los Angeles branch plans to begin a Soorya Heritage Series where young, upcoming as well as senior artistes will be presented by the organization. |
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