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Natraj Awards Function (Grades IV-IX)
20th December, 2003
Picture Gallery
The Essence of India’s Rhythmic Heritage
came alive with the Natraj Awa rds at Neerja Modi School.
The evening witnessed a rich and unique conglomeration of Classical Folk
and Tribal dances. The enchanting music with dances and songs, in all
its authenticity and exquisite finesse were performed by the students of
Grade IV to IX. It was a mirror to the rich diversity of India.
A scintillating display of rhythm choreographed by Mallika Sarabhai’s
Darpana Academy made the evening an unforgettable one.
The selection of folk dances ranged from the hills of Manipur to the
des erts of Rajasthan, from the marshy parts of Madhya Pradesh to the
golden beaches of Kerala which showed the heritage of Indian classical
and folk dances embracing several styles. Every dance performed by the
students had its own uniqueness thus displaying a spell binding tapestry
tracing the origin to the “Natya Shastra” a treatise on dance written
by Sage Bharata over 2000 years ago.
The first enchanting offering was a “Sambalpuri Dance” by the Students
of IV C. The dance illustrated the socio-religious life of the people of
western Orissa. The next dance was a dance on “Communal Harmony” which
is the need of the hour. India without her rich diversity of culture and
her different communities is unimaginable. This dance by the students
 of
Grade IV A & B symbolized “Communal Harmony”.
To signify Onam as a New Year of the people of Kerala was depicted by
the “Kaikottikali Dance”.
The next dance was a “Bhil” dance by the students of VI C. The dance
showed a clear blend of complex tempos and traditions with graceful,
unforced virtuosity.
A folk dance from Maharashtra the “Lavani” was then presented by the
students of Grade VIII B. The dance depicted the rich culture of Maharashtra. The Lavani is the fore runner to the present traditional
drama form the Tamasha, from Maharashtra.
A fabulous dance performance was the “Bamboo Dance” by the students of V
A & V B. The dance was not only rhythmic but it also contained a fast
tempo which when combined with dancers hopping in and out of the
bamboos, who etched intricate patterns by their movements, thus leading
to excitement as the hops turned into furious leaps, ducks and bounds.
One could discover a new world here in the “Kolattam”. In an exemplary
manner the Mao dancers performed the popular “Mao Dance” followed by the
“Laiharoba” the mother of all Manipuri dances.
The next performance of the evening was an electrifying dance from
Gujarat the “Porbandar Ras” performed by the students of Grade VIII A.
The highlight of the evening was the “Gond Dance” from Madhya-Pradesh by
the students of Grade VII A & B. The use of stilts by the students mesmerised
the audience thus casting a hypnotic spell. The “Ghumar” a
popular dance done by women with decorated sticks. The evening was
rounded off with the grand finale where in approximately 180
dancers came up on the stage and its surrounding thus making
the audience acknowledge them amidst thunderous applause.
Updated:
24th December 2003 |
