By  Dr. Ajay Garg

Nritya Natya Kala Bharti’s (NNKB’s) 2015 Annual dance concert was an extraordinary treat for the senses. The exquisite dances, the sensual melodies, the exotic dresses and the fast pace of the performance brought time to a stand still. NNKB Dance Director Kumud Savla, Music Director Sandeep Savla and their talented daughter Samta brought the evening alive with their delicate moves, music compositions and choreography.

The grand venue, Robert Ferst Center for the arts, was an appropriate stage for the world-class

 artists and compositions that were part of the first segment of the evening, called Vriksha Katha. This Kathak segment was performed with live musicians. The second segment brought the treat of Bollywood to the audiences in an extremely creative presentation called “Antakshari”.

Vriksha Katha, or the string of stories told by a tree, brought daily scenes of life that touch us at an emotional level. The tree reminded the audience about the value our plant lives play in the eco-system of our lives. The story of the tree began with “Surya Namaskar”, a Yoga based dance performance to start off a day in the life of the tree. While “Gurukul” advanced the day with children’s classes being held under the tree, “Khel” was cleverly choreographed to present the children playing under it. “Vasant Ritu” and “Garaj Garaj” showed the importance of water to our eco system and the effect of rain on the animal kingdom. Dancers dressed in peacock feathers splashed a rainbow of colors on the stage. From the flower in the hair to the Ghungroos in the feet , every piece of their wardrobe was knitted and weaved into each other like a kaleidoscope of colors.



Kumud Savla’s graceful rendition of Kamayani, the somber reminder of Buddha’s message & Pooja Vaidya’s smooth Virah were amongst the items that topped off the first segment gracefully. The last performance knit the whole segment back together by reminding us all about the value of trees to our eco-system. The dance and choreography helped spread the message that we need to work together and save our planet from deforestation.





The second segment was based on “Antakshari”, a favorite game from India. The starting word of a song was tied to the ending word of the previous song, building a linked list of songs! The audience was enraptured with anticipation of the next song and would find themselves mesmerized with the dances and the costumes. The energy and grace of Bollywood dancing was highlighted by the littlest to the advanced students of NNKB. Robert Chabot infused a wonderful western dimension with a dance fusion. Another innovation in this theme was the introduction of “Guess the song”! The audience got into the groove of the evening as the compeer of that segment, Ajay Chunchu, made it fun for them with an interactive participation.

The evening was truly spectacular with a flawless execution of dance, music, sound and visuals. With the masterful help of Vasanta Chivukula & Manjula Devi and the overall guidance of Apurva Shrivastava, the NNKB Team has set a high bar for the dancers and we should all look forward to what this group brings to us next year! Well done!