The Natyanjali Dance Fest at Chidambaram this year features 60
recitals. At least 200 artistes perform here across five days.
So the logistics are challenging.
The Trustees are a close knit group led by president A. K.
Natarajan, a local advocate. One takes care of the festival
scheduling and the backstage management, one is in charge of the
accommodation and hospitality, one oversees the VIP invitees and
special guests. . .
It costs a lot to host the Natyanjali. And this cannot be a
corporatised event. Support is provided by the Sangeet Natak
Akademi, South Zone Cultural Centre, City Union Bank and
Annamalai University.
But this is not enough.
Backstage on Day Two, Trust Secretary A. Sambandam, also an
advocate, shows me the repairs that were done to the simple
masonry stage, built in the outer yard in the eastern section of
the temple. He says the Trust will need a sponsor now because a
new stage is a must for the 2009 Natyanjali.
The fest does get benefactors. This week, Dr.Adhi, a Sri Lankan
who studied in Chidambaram and is now based in Canada and who
has been visiting his alma mater (Annamalai University) donated
ten thousand rupees and was felicitated on stage. The dentist
says that back home in Toronto, the arts community has begun
hosting a Natyanjali-like fest.
Students of Riverside Public School, Kotagiri
The opening recital on Day Two is by the students of the
Riverside Public School from Kotagiri in the Nilgiris hills.
Guided by dance teacher Yalini, the 25-member team presents a
short dance-drama with lots of enthusiasm. Yalini says the team
left Kotagiri early on Thursday so that they could be in
Chidambaram for Sivaratri.
Young Amara Rama with the troupe from Kanakasabha Performing Arts Centre, Mumbai
Dhaksha Mashruwala and her four disciples from Mumbai, sponsored
by the Akademi, present an Odissi recital beginning with a Siva
Thandavam piece. Dhaksha is joined by Anandhi Ramachandran, who
learnt under the great Kelucharan Mahapatra, to present a piece
based on a Bhagawad Gita sloka. Engaging.
And then, a unique raga-malika varnam follows. Titled 'Angayarkanni',
this is joint work of the two well known Chennai-based gurus,
Sudharani Raghupathy and Chitra Visweswaran. Three dancers of
each guru perform this 30-minute piece, which was premiered at
the dance fest of The Music Academy held in early January, as
part of the December season.
Dancer Smita Madhav from Hyderabad
Harish Gangani from the Kathak Kendra in Delhi turns his recital
into an informal lec-dem on Kathak for the packed audience.
Meenakshi Chittaranjan and her sishyas follow with a crisp
production. As she stands on the sidelines after the recital,
Meenakshi is surrounded by children who have been in the
audience. They want to know about the performance and tell her
what they do in Chidambaram.
Students of gurus Sudharani Raghupathy and Chitra Visweswaran performing the ragamalika varnam
The last of the recitals go past 11 p.m. and most people have
left. The dew has been rather heavy tonight. Sambandam says the
Sivaratri recitals had ended at 7 a.m. on Friday. Managing the
Natyanjali is a challenge.
Meenakshi Chittaranjan and the students of her dance school Kaladiksha
