Dasavatharam performed at festival

Natyanjali, a five-day event, is under way in Chidambaram

CUDDALORE, TAMIL NADU, 19/02/2020: (TO GO ALONG WITH PRASAD STORY) Dancers from Nrithya Sangeetha Academy in U.K. re-enacting “Dasavatharam” in the form of dance drama at the 39th edition of Natyanjali festival in Chidambaram on Wednesday. Photo: S.S.Kumar / The Hindu

The 39th edition of the Natyanjali festival, which commenced in Chidambaram on Wednesday, brought together myriad dance forms on a single platform, with veteran and young dancers marking their presence at the five-day annual event.

Dasavatharam, a dance drama by students of the Nrithya Sangeetha Academy in the U.K., featured 20 dancers.

The students were supported by their guru and founder of the academy, Rathika Rajalokanathan. The performance by the team depicted the avatars of Vishnu, through the form of a dance drama. The performance started with an invocatory

Thodaya Mangalam . This was followed by the dancers re-enacting the Dasavatharam — Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki — culminating with the

Parkadal Alai Mele .

“Bharatanatyam is pure and expressive and the dance drama was choreographed in a simplified manner to ensure that even a layman understood it,” said Ms. Rajalokanathan.

The dancers, in the 5-50 age group, were trained individually for the performance in the last one-and-a-half months. The children were taught about Vishnu’s 10 avatars through pictures and visuals, and the team feels blessed to have performed at such a prestigious event, she said.