Nritya Natya Kala Bharti 2018 Annual Concert Review

Nritya Natya Kala Bharti held its 18th annual recital at the GWCC Sydney Marcus Auditorium. It was simply exquisite! The NNKB team, led by Kumud and Sandeep Savla, has trained us to expect a high standard of performance. This year was no exception. The theme for the first part of the recital was
“Sanskrti, Dancing through the Ages”. It took us on the cultural history of India from the Indus Valley Civilization to Modern India.

The NNKB team did an outstanding job of paying attention to details. While we did expect a dazzling show this year, the costumes were bright, colorful and apt for each performance. The dance sequences flowed seamlessly. The flawless sound assured the continuous and uninterrupted flow of the program. The lighting was well synchronized and visual effects behind the dances made us feel that we had become one with them.



The concert began with a showcase of the dances during the pre-Vedic era of Harappan Civilization, which is preserved in several Indian cultures even today. This item was inspired by the statues and the seal of Pashupati (a form of Lord Shiva) recovered from this period. The following Vedic period was
perfectly reflected in the dances choreographed on the Sargam Geet. The Epic Age is India’s religious and cultural foundation. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata were brought alive as they showcased their respective episodes on the lives of Lord Ram and Draupadi.

The NNKB team chose to focus on the message of peace through Buddhism during the Maurya Period. As the students performed to the music set and composed by Sandeep Savla, Amrapali’s impact on Indian culture was depicted with clarity and succinctness. The dances continued through the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Period. The Bhakti movement during this era was soulfully portrayed in the renditions of Meerabai’s devotion and the Sufi movement. As the show progressed through Rani Laxmibai’s fight for India’s freedom to the modern era, the heart touching performance of Kumud Savla showed the reason why NNKB has continued to produce top Kathak talents in the country.

Finally, it was a proud moment for the parents of the graduating Visharad class of 2018, which included Kiran Varadarajan, Tara Varadarajan, and Sonica Sahetiya. These dedicated students received their Visharad degrees from Gandharva Mahavidyalay and were honored on stage by their Guru, Kumud Savla.

The second part of the evening was energized by the performance of dancers that showcased “NNKB’s Got Talent”! An accomplished and talented panel of judges brought a fantastic twist to this concept. As the performers danced through their items, the judges asked wonderfully insightful questions that allowed the students to communicate to the audience how important the role of Kathak is in their lives and in the Indian community in the US. The role of NNKB seems to be ever more vital in providing an opportunity for Indians to be connected with their roots through the Indian arts.

Finally, Samta Savla’s grace and beauty seem to be imbibed from her mother and guru, Smt. Kumud Savla, as she beautifully performed to Shankar Mahadevan's Breathless with NNKB alumni and senior performers.


The NNKB team of Kumud, Sandeep, Samta, and Sil Savla, as well as Manujla Devi, Vasanta Chivukula, Samaica Deshetty, Kriti Lodh and Pooja Vaidya, continues to thrill us with new and colorful twists to depict the dance caliber of their students. The costumes, the music and the concepts, all added vivid colors of their own and culminated in a perfect rainbow on a cool evening.