The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : DVD, including 108 karanas, the basic units of dance, released

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DVD, including 108 karanas, the basic units of dance, released

Staff Reporter

It includes training for Angika Abhinaya like Angas, Upangas of body and face

— Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

Preserving values: N. Murali, Managing Director of The Hindu, presenting a copy of the DVD to dancer Padma Subrahmanyam in Chennai on Saturday. R.Krishnaswami, president, Federation of City Sabhas (third from left), S.Vaidhyasubramaniam , dean (Planning and Development) Sastra University (third from right) and dancers Anita Ratnam, Gopika Varma, Jayapriya Vikraman and Priya Murle are in the picture.

CHENNAI: There is a need for sensitivity to understand the fine arts and humanities and the values that flow from the tradition of Marga and Bharathanatyam, said N. Murali Managing Director of The Hindu and President, The Music Academy, here on Saturday.

Speaking at a function to launch ‘Karana Prakaranam, Marga Tradition Revived,’ a DVD by dancer Padma Subrahmanyam, he said this was essential, particularly so in this age when violence and strife were prevalent. He said her contribution went beyond Bharathanatyam and Marga tradition.

He said the great exponent of creativity was single-handedly responsible for the revival of the Marga tradition. The DVD, Mr. Murali said, was the result of 40 years of research, fine accomplishments and it was work in progress.

The DVD, produced by Nrithyodaya for Swathi Soft Solutions, was released to commemorate the 80th birth anniversary of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam’s brother V. Balakrishnan and 75th birth anniversary of his wife Shyamala Balakrishnan.

R. Krishnaswami, President, Federation of City Sabhas, recalled that director Subrahmanyam, the dancer’s father, was the first to make documentaries.

S. Vaidhyasubramaniam, Dean (Planning and Development) Sastra University, said the university would offer UG and PG courses in dance and music from Vijayadasami day this year. Dr. Padma would be made Professor Emeritus and programme director.

Later, speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam said the conjoining of movements of hands and feet in dance was called Karana. It is a unit of dance and is based on action (kriya) and was not a pose. She said that Marga, the common grammar laid down by Bharatha Muni in his Natyashastra, was relevant to all the desis (regional forms of dance such as Odissi, Kathak, Bharathanatyam).

K.S. Sudhakar of Swathi Soft Solutions said the DVD was the firm’s 120th classical dance product.

The DVD includes basic training for Angika Abhinaya like Angas, Upangas of the body and face.

The 108 karanas, the basic units of dance, have been demonstrated along with the relevant sculptures interspersed.

Dancers Anita Ratnam, Gopika Varma, Jayapriya Vikraman and Priya Murle received copies of the DVD. Dr. Padma’s eldest sister Lalitha Krishnamurthi and brothers S.V. Ramanan and Krishnaswamy too received copies.

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