by: Aditya shrivastav
Photos by: Venkat Kuttua

On March 24th 2013, Atlanta witnessed the power of Kathak Dancing accompanied by live Hindustani Classical and light classical music. The students of Nritya Natya Kala Bharti (NNKB) took center stage at the Atlanta Symphony hall to enrapture the audience for the remainder of the evening. The students ranged from ages 5, to the parents of students themselves. The audience included the esteemed Counsel General of India, Shri Ajeet Kumar and family.

The performance started with an introduction by Viren Mayani followed by the traditional invocation for blessings from Lord Ganesh. It was heartening to see the Savla family on stage, who have brought the consummate experience of Indian Artistry to the US. As Sandeep and Kumud Savala took their place with the Live orchestra, Samta Savla, their daughter, helped the budding artists take the stage one age group at a time.



Thus began the first part of the show, the Kathak dance with Live music orchestra. This year’s theme was “Saaz Aur Andaaz”, (Musical Instruments and their Expressions). There were 15 instruments chosen: Flute, Sitar, Sarangi, Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dhol, Dholak, Madal, Duggi, Chando, Shankh, Temple Bells, Ghunghroo, Swarmandal and Harmonium. Each of these instruments was brought to life with Kathak dances that helped express their beauty.

The first dance depicted the power of the temple Bells and Shank, an instrument used to signify the deep roar of glory, praise or battle. The littlest of all students took part in rendition called “Ganesh Vandana”, that praised the Gods and Goddesses to bless us all, a traditional beginning for all Indian Dance and Music shows.

This was followed by Tarana in Mishra Ghara which highlighted the melodious sound of the Indian bamboo flute, or the “Bansuri”. Apurva Shrivastava, the maestro on flute, had the audience enraptured with his soulful rendition of this piece. The Pakhawaj and the Tabla were the other instruments to be highlighted in the piece “Tarana in Hansadhwani”. Phil Hollenbeck on the Pakhawaj and Naren Budhkar on the Tabla brought this piece together with a thundering precision. As an integral part of Hindustani classical music, the tabla and Palhawaj are used in Kathak to illustrate intricate rhythmic patterns. The Students were up to the challenge and performed with equal ease and precision.

The next piece was an exemplification of the orchestral ensemble and the sweetness of vocal that helps to bring out the delicate expressions in Kathak. “Mohe Panghat Pe”, is a masterpiece in Indian film songs. Vibhuti Kavishwar performed this soulful melody to a perfection that would have made leading Indian vocalist proud. The students performed this with grace and expression that brought the audience to their feet.



Next on stage was one of the memorable pieces of the live segment: the depiction of various Taals through “Kathak Tukda”. The students familiarized the audience with Taals like Roopak, Teen Tal, Jhap Taal, Ek Taal, and then highlighted Kathak pattterns, also called Tukdas”. One got a glimpse of the depth of Kathak that was being taught at NNKB. Students recited complex “bols” and concluded the item with 76 chakars (spins), a feat for professionals only! This item followed a previous item of kathak tukdas where some of the youngest and most promising “kalakaars” showcased a preview, by reciting and performing intricate rhythmic patterns known as “todas” at such a tender age. This is an art demonstrated by only the highly skilled Kathak Artists. Ghungroo, or ankle bells are worn by the dancer to accentuate the intricate footwork patterns in accordance to the rhythm. Jayur Kept the dancers on their feet with his delightful leads on the Ghungroo.

The Harmonium, Dholak and the Duff were highlighted in the Sufi style renditions of Chap Tilak & Damadam Mast Kalandar. The harmonium is an integral part of Qawallis and sufi music styles. Kumud Savla took the stage herself and reminded the audience of why NNKB has been so successful. Her grace, her hand movements, her sublime expressions and her footwork was a beauty to behold. The beautiful dance movements of the other dancers and the fast pace melody on Dholak was interspersed with the slowing down of the movements with the Duff. The Madal and the Duggi, considered as side rhythms and the Dhol and Dholak were all played by Ganesh Jagtap, who guided the different pace of the piece with his skills at each of the instruments.

This was followed by a dance that expressed the moods of the flute and chando. Flute is exemplified by its association with Lord Shri Krishna. Choosing the Flute to express the flow of “Raas”, it lilted the beautiful Gopis. Vocal and Swarmandal were highlighted with the piece that followed, “Sargam”. Mayuri, a dance of the peacock, introduced the Sitar, which was masterfully rendered by Amitava Chattterjee who brought the pleasant and happy emotions, along with the monsoon to stage.

The Sarangi rounded up the instruments for the evening. “Dil Cheez Kya hai”, from Umrao Jaan, brought the Sarangi to the hearts of one and all. The ladies rendered this piece with grace and expression that would be the envy of any performer. Rohan Sharma, on the Sarangi, brought every nuance of this instrument to bear.


The live music session ended with a Fusion, a rendition of Indian Classical dance that transitioned to flamenco and back. A masterpiece, choreographed by Samta Savla, was clearly an item that was performed by the advanced students of NNKB. The simple clarity of the dances mixed with the complexities of each dance style, immersed in the beautiful pink and white dresses, was beauty in motion beyond compare. The Live Segment of the show had beautiful melodies composed and directed by Sandeep Savla and supported by his students on Chorus and the Keyboards.

After a brief interval, The Live segment was followed by the dance recitals to the pre-recorded music called “Journey through RhythmScapes” . Samta Savla, who wrote and recited the explanations of the segment to follow, settled the audience with the calmness of a skilled hostess as she took us on a journey of the Earth and the Moon. The experiences of each topography of the planet and the beauty of the moon, were expressed through dance.



The Rivers of earth were depicted through the items Radha, Go Govinda and the Taj Mahal Melody. Young Radha and Govinda performed their dances near the Yamuna River while the Taj Mahal is built on the banks of the Yamuna river.

The Oceans are incomplete without the rendition of Hawa Hawaii and a Kolhi Dance. Addition to these dances were items Shola Jo Bhadke, Sheila Ki Jawani (with an unexpected twist of Maharathi fusion) and Pareshaan, one of the best pieces with ostentatious Chinese Fans. All of the pieces brought the ocean on the stage with all its might, beauty and power.

The Fields of India are rich in soil as well as dances. Morni Baga Ma, and other songs introduced us to the impact that the fields in India have on our daily lives. The Mountainous regions were brought to life through the Kashmiri Dance and Jumbalika. All the dancers were exquisitely dressed, and together with their beautiful dances, brought the Indian topography to life.
The Desert, which depicted scenes from a Rajasthani village and, brought its heat to the audience with the Dholna (performed by the youngest students from the academy), Sayyian and Mashallah (with swords that brought the audience to their feet) while the City scapes were highlighted through Disco Deewane (from the boys students of NNKB) and Parda, choreographed as Indian-Jazz style.
The Jungles of India, was a masterpiece! It touched the audience from a child to the older members of the audience alike. O Re Kanchi and the Tribal Dance were a treat to watch as the children performed them with gusto and expressions of experienced artists.
The beauty of the moon was captured in “Apsara Aalee”. The Apsaras, or the celestial beauties, were the advanced students of NNKB who performed this in a Lavni Style, again taking the audience in a completely new direction from the past. The beauty of the song, along with is choreography had the audience enraptured. It was a fitting piece that culminated into the grand finale for the evening.
The organizers did a marvelous job this year. Alsam Parvez , Shahid Ali and Anwar Ajmeri helped with the event management. One must also be cognizant of the management effort it takes to bring the large number of students to the stage in one evening. The parent volunteers of NNKB were the backbone that helped Kumud and Samta to keep the items flowing uninterrupted. A Vote of thanks to the sponsors for their support in keeping the culture of the Indian Subcontinent thriving, in the USA.