స్వర్ణబాల: SLOKABHINAYAM (RHYTHMIC SHOWCASE-2)

Good evening everyone.

We have started Rhythmic Showcase as a part of "Sri Gnana Saraswati Msic & Dance School" established by my mother, Dr Tallapragada Mangamamba some 25-27 yrs ago. It is bing run by my sister Vandana Tutaga at Raleigh, North Carolina as "GS Music School" teaching Veena & Music past 15-20 yrs. In October 25th 2020, we have done Rhythm-Jati-construction, rendition & performance where about 30-35 participants were there along with several veteran dancers & Gurus. We have shared the YouTube link of the same to everyone by email, WhatsApp and FaceBook. you can still see it on my YouTube - swarnabala ganti

https://youtu.be/Uh9vsCsw06Y OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh9vsCsw06Y

This time the attendance is a bit thin as several of them have had some personal family set backs - so Sabita Krishna, Uma Vyjayantimala, Sudhamala, Madhavimala, Vanaja Uday, Dr Rajani, Madhavi Ramanujam, Radhika Krishnaji, Dr P Rama Devi, are unable to participate. Their presence was felt the last time in Rhythmic showcase - 1; and now the absence. We acknowledge their commitment to encourage us.

This time we have chosen a new topic "SLOKABHINAYAM" a word selected by Dr Rambabu garu for our program and we have floated this idea to all artists/Gurus/students through emails/WhatsApp on 7th February 2022 first along with several remainders of the same to all the artistic community. After this, before we did the final program, we observed that Veteran Gurus, such as Anupama Kylash and many more from Benguluru etc, have used this title and have done their programs. We are very happy to note the same.

We welcome Dr Rajyalakshmi Seth, our Guru Dr Uma Ramarao's suster and a renowned senior Kuchipudi artist, writer, choreographer and teacher along with her senior student, dancer Soumya Sri. We also welcome Vijaya Ramam garu, Satish Kolluri garu and grateful to them for encouraging us.

We also take this opportunity and occassion to pay our tributes to our Guru Dr Uma Ramarao garu.

Today we wish to remember:

Legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj, Kathak Dancer who passed away on 17th Jan 2022

and

Veteran Choreographer - Shiva Shankar Master on 28th Nov 2021.

Coming to today's program, Meaning of Sloka in Sanskrit -

"Two verses containing 16 syllables each OR 4 hemiverses of 8 syllables each"

In general, if one wants to talk about "Slokabhinayam" dancing it requires a sense of laya, tala, shruthi gnanam - for rendering the lyrics in an audible manner for appealing presentation.

Therefore, a Sloka is a sort of "essence" of a particular item or theme. Eg: 45 min - 75 min dance drama performance of a Varnam such as Ramayanam - you start with a Sloka describing the Central theme, or central idea of the essence of the subject matter in question.

Sri Rama Sloka, an item on Shiva, Sloka of Shiva or an item on Devi, Sloka on Devi. This reminds me of "Nava Durga" which we staged in 2004, by Uma aunty. Sutradhara, Padmaja Kuppa, slokas and all Durgas - one Jati each. Slokas were utilized to present all the Durgas. Sabita, Srikala, Anahita, Swarnabala, Sowanya, and so many other artists participated.

Therefore, it is more like an "abstract" in a literary work or a scientific paper - the "central Idea", basically.

In Natya Sastra or Abhinaya Darpanam various bhedas, gestures and hastas or the representations of several elements are learnt in te form of "Slokas". They aide a dancer to remember so many variations in a very easy, comprehensive manner. It helps them present themselves aesthetically appealing to the audience. "Bhava" evoking "Rasa" in their audience. They help the viewer to understand the dancer, without words, but just from the gestures.

On 25th October 2020, we had taken up the Rhythm, a step in dance, importance of laya, tala in constructing a Jati" - rendition, presentation. Nw the second part, we take Sloka", this involves a bit more - knowledge of Shruthi too and interpretation of lyrics for aesthetic presentation.

So similar to construction of "Jatis" - "Sloka" also is challenging to teachers while they are choreographing requiring a lot of artistic talent. Meaning of lyrics, breaking up of words, along with their inner aesthetic, spiritual meaning become very important.

So I welcome all of you to have a wonderful evening fulfilling to know and understand "Sloka" and its "abhinaya" in depth.

Over to Anahita Bharadwaj.

Number of participants:

Anahita Bharadwaj

Swarnabala Ganti

Dr Rajyalakshmi Seth

Satish Kolluri

Vijaya Ramam

Dr Srikala

Dr Padmaja Kuppa

Preksha Megharaj

Sindoora Moorthy