Monsoon mania
- Satish Suri
e-mail: satishism@yahoo.co.in
Photos: courtesy Ezio Gatoni, The Alernative Magazine

September 11, 2014


Ashwini Raghupathy
Sukriti Anant

Ashwini Raghupathy, a classical Odissi dancer, dares to be different. Besides performing on stage, her forte seems to be performing in public places like the promenade of the Metro Rail Station, the City Market and the Cubbon Park to convey a message and stimulate interest in the classical arts among lay public. For her performance on the 24th August, she chose a patch of green in the premises of the Teri Auditorium in Bangalore.


Praveen Narayan & Gurupriya Atreya
She began her performance with an invocation and salutation to Goddess Saraswati. This was followed by Meg Pallavi performed by Swati Prasad and Shilpa Bertuleti. The duo delineated the pallavi executing the various bhangas and postures in a befitting manner much to the delight of the audience. The central piece of the program was a thematic presentation of Water. Set to a shloka from the Taitriya Aranyaka of the Yajur Veda, it explored the different attributes of water. It was performed by Sukriti Anant in Bharatanatyam style and Ashwini Raghupathy in Odissi style. The two artists of different classical art backgrounds came together to explore a common ground with verve and finesse.

The performance was embellished by excellent rendition on the vocals by Gurupriya Atreya and Praveen Narayan on the percussion. An overcast sky shied away from its outpouring leaving the dancers to celebrate in gay abandon the spirit of the monsoon. There were many curious onlookers who watched with amazement, the communication that this art form provided in a space normally not meant for a classical dance performance.

Satish Suri has been an ardent follower of dance and music for more than 40 years, starting with being on the committee of the International Music and Arts Society founded by Vijaya Devi, sister of the Late Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar and now presently is treasurer of World Dance Alliance Karnataka Chapter. He has presented several artists, both dancers and musicians, over the last 4 decades.