Bharatanatyam is a soul-stirring divine dance form that has won recognition across the world, said Himanshu Shukla, Chief Executive Officer of the AP Tourism Authority (APTA), on Wednesday.
Speaking at function after a scintillating performance of Bharatanatyam by Bengaluru-based artist and choreographer Darshan Upadhye, Mr. Shukla heaped praise on the grace with which Mr. Upadhye had performed. He felicitated the artist with a shawl and a memento.
Earlier, Mr. Upadhye performed in front of a select audience at the Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati. A recipient of the ‘Nritya Kaumudi’ award, Mr. Upadhye’s show was part of Natyasravanthi, a monthly dance series jointly organised by the CCV&A and Srinivasa Farms.
A disciple of Padmasubrahmanyam, Mr. Upadhye started his performance with traditional pushpanjali in Naata raga set in aditaala composed by Rajkumar Bharathi. He invoked Lord Vighneswara seeking his blessings by vividly describing his divine form. The artist next moved to Varnam in Shanmukhapriya raaga in aditalam and praised Nataraja as the king of Chidambaram who dances in Kanaka Mahasasha. Mr. Upadhye finally portrayed the nine different emotions in a subtle way through his alluring postures and gestures.
