Devi Navaratri Nrityanjali 2020 - A Nine-Day Festival of worship to the Goddess
(Features various dance forms from different parts of India)
Garba(Sun,Oct 18-7PM)
Dance form – Gujarati Garba
Name of piece – Mataji garba
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance form, performed during Navratri, that honors,
worships, and celebrates Goddess Shakti or Mata.It is usually performed by all in the community, sheri, in a circle around a clay pot with a lamp or around a murty of Mataji. Traditionally songs for garba are dedicated to Shakti. The ring of dancers revolves like cyclic time, the only constant being the Goddess Shakti in the center. As the cycle changes from birth, life, death and rebirth, the central divinity remains unchanging. Todays garba is a medley of such songs.
The dance includes Tran tali, bey tali, heech, dodhiyu styles of garba.
Performers:Margi Bhatt and Arya Wade, Niraja and Riya Sahasrabudhe
Bathukamma(Mon,Oct 19-7PM)
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Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack, arranged with seasonal flowers, in seven concentric layers, like a cone. Bathuku in Telugu means live/life, and Amma means mother; hence Bathukamma, honors the life-giving mother, later denoted as Goddess Gauri.
Bathukammas are placed in the center and women dance around them, synchronizing steps and claps in unison, and singing special folk songs for the occasion.
Performers:– Deepika, Krishna Veni, Munny, Lopamudra
Kathak(Tue,Oct 20-7PM)
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Name of piece - Matakalika
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In the Lalita Sahasranama , among the 1000 names of the Devi, there is one name, “Karangulinakhothpanna”, which says the 10 avatars of Narayana have come into existence from the ten finger nails of the devi. Kali is the protector, she is the mother, kali is dharma and eternal time. Kali shines with the brilliance of millions of black fires and her body is bathe in vibhuti , fierce, large, shimmering eyes , destructive, triumphal smiling amongst the destruction of millions of demons, wearing a necklaces of skulls , and a skirt of severed arms. Glowing like a full moon in the night sky holding the demon in one hand symbolizing destruction of ego, a knife infused with sacred mantras & with divine shakti. Kali stands peaceful and content, fused with the fragrance of jasmine, rose and sandalwood.
Music by Pandit Jasraj
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By Kaladhara Dance School
Performer:Sonali Loomba
Garba(Wed,Oct 21-7PM)
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In Sanskrit, ‘Nav’ means Nine and ‘Ratri ‘means night. Thus, Navratri festival stands for nine nights and ten days of worshipping nine different avatars of Goddess Durga. Goddess Durga is a symbol of power and inner strength .
Todays performance is all about offering prayers to Goddess Durga . Dancers with devotion will address her as” Ambe Maa
By Bollypop Utah
Performers: Nishka kanitkar,Vidhi Pandya ,Siddhi Pandya ,Shaily Pandya
Sarika Nayak and Isha Patel
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Bengali Durga Bandana(Thu,Oct 22-7PM)
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Sumanti is an Indian dancer and choreographer. She is a Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Folk & Bollywood dance teacher. She is very much passionate about dance. Earlier she was engaged in school as a dance teacher. Currently she runs a YouTube channel (Sumanti Mandal's Dance Studio).
Today she is going to perform Durga Bandana (Durge Durge Durgatinashini & Ogo Amar Agomoni)
Durga Puja Special Bengali Modern Song (Dugga Elo)
By – Sumanti Mandal’s Dance Studio
Bharathanatyam(Sat,Oct 24-10.45 AM)
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Jyothsna Sainath will perform a Bharatanatyam Varnam on Devi as an offering around Navarathri. The Tamil piece, Maye Mayan Sodariye, in Thodi Ragam and Adi Talam, is a composition of Sri Madhurai N. Krishnan. As part of the piece, the devotee appeals to Devi to bestow her grace, by describing her as Maya, the one who rid the world of the evils of Mahishasura, and the one who is an embodiment of everything that is sacred in the arts. The choreography for the piece draws on work by Jyothsna's late Guru, Smt. Narmada
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By – Nitya Nritya Dance Company
Performer: Jyothsna Sainath
Bharathanatyam(Sat,Oct 24-7PM)
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Kargi Kala Kendra will be presenting two Bharatanatyam dances on this occasion.
1. Margabandhu Sthothram: This is a prayer to Lord Shiva to show the right path. Lord Shiva as Margabandhu will protect all those who recite this sthothram with reverence while undertaking any journey. This song is written by Ayyappa Deekshitar and will be performed by students of Kargi Kala Kendra
2. Gangai Kauthuvam: The Ganges river is most sacred in Hindu tradition. It is believed that bathing in river causes the forgiveness of transgressions and helps attain salvation. It is understood as the personification of Goddess Ganga. This song is written by Madurai Muralidharan as a Tribute to river Ganges. Students of Kargi kala Kendra will perform a beautiful dance for this song.
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By Kargi Kalakendra
Performers:Students of Sudha Kargi
Odissi and Bharathanatyam
(Sun,Oct 25-10.45 AM)
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Odissi: Artist : Malavika Singh
Invocation Piece in Odissi
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Bharatanatyam:Starting with an invocatory piece and ending with Tillana all dedicated to various forms of the goddess.
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Ganga Kirthanam - Ragam Hamsadhwani, composition of Sadashiva Bhramendra
Padam - Naan oru vilayattu bommaiyya ( am I merely your plaything, Oh Goddess)? Ragam Navarasa Kaaanada
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Tillana - Valaji Ragam,. dedicated to Devi
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Performers:– Sanjana Sujeet, Priyanka Mathews, Srilatha & Makavika Singh
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Mohiniyattam and Bharathanatyam
(Sun,Oct 25-7PM)
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Bharatanatyam: Devargalai Kathidave (Raga Kedara Gowlai, Talam Adi, Composer Smt K Lalitha, Saraswati Gana Nilayam)
Performer : Puja Iyer
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This is a Devi Krithi in Bharathanatyam style praising the greatness of Devi. It describes Devi dancing with Siva to the music witnessed by Ganesha and Karthikeya and blessing the world and her granting the boons to her devotees who seek her lotus feet.
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Mohiniattam Style:Sakaladeva Nuthe (Raga Sri Ranjani, Talam Adi)
Performers: Divya Narayanan and Manya Nair - On this occasion of Vidayramba, this is a original Sanskrit composition on Sri Saraswati, Supreme Goddess, who holds the secret of all syllables in hymns, and who is the consort of Lord Brahma. It goes on to describe the Devi and her lotus-like face that always wears a beautiful smile.
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By Divya School of Dance
Performers:Divya Narayanan and Students
DivyaSchoolOfDance.com
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