SIFAS Academy day 2024- Bharatanatyam Performance (Vazhi- The Path)

Music and Dance are rather inseparable, two entities linked by nature. As music flowed like a river through the years, so did dance evolve with it. These divine art forms were birthed in our temples as dancers took reverent steps in praise of the lord. Similarly, we will begin with the temple dance of mallari. As music began to diverge from syllables to heartfelt words, Purandara Dasar was there, paving the way for Carnatic Music to prosper. With evocative abhinaya, our dancers will proceed to dance to a Purandara Dasar Kriti, shifting from the fast beats of mallari to pleasant movements in praise of Lord Krishna. We will then move on to proponents of music who took the art form further, creating such amazing compositons that live on till today. The third item will be one composed by Sri Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyar followed by items composed by none other than the musical trinity- Muthusvami Dhikshitar, Tyagarajar and Shyama Shastri. Our dancers will explore the beauty of the words through facial expressions and cadence of the notes through their feet. After this, music took a slow but sure turn, being used not only to praise the lord but to describe other aspects of life. Using simple words and resonant tones, the rebellious poet Bharathiyar took music a step further, to foster courage in humans and to explore life through a newfound lens. Our dancers will bring to life a piece of his profound thought on this stage, describing the harsh nature of mother earth with awe. Finally, our dancers will explore the music of Muthiah Bhagavathar concluding this wonderful journey with gusto. As we travel through this path, we shall do so with gratitude and hence we will call this, Vazhi. We hope you enjoy the Vazhi, as generations of humans did.