NRITYA TARANGINI (1987)

Nritta Tarangini (Ripple of dance) is a unique presentation of group choreography in Bharatanaatyam with subjects relating to nature and human body. It was choreographed for the Festival of India in USSR in 1987.
The Dhananjayans were invited by the ICCR for the first time for an audition in Delhi. Keen to present good patterns of Indian classical dance abroad, they performed some of their best-choreographed pieces from their different productions and the newly choreographed Kadanakutuhala Tillana of Balamuralikrishna. The total program was called Nritya Tarangini, but they called the thillana Nritta Tarangini, it looked like waves of movement, one could even see shades of a Kuchipudi tarangam in this.
The Dhananjayans won the audition and their 22-member troupe was invited to Russia where they presented excerpts from Sanghamitra and Ramanaatakam and Nritta Tarangini to high critical acclaim. That�s how Nritya Tarangini was created for a Russian audience.

Nritta Tarangini was conceived as a major group choreography and was the piece de resistance in this dance presentation. A variety of patterns and calculations, quite different from the usual thillanas were used, geometric patterns like square, triangle, rectangle, circle and lines. It was hailed as a choreographic marvel in Russia along with their excerpt from Ramanaatakam.

Nritya Tarangini as a totally classical variety program has been presented all over India, using excerpts from other mega productions also.

�Whenever we take a composer�s work, we go directly to the musician if he is alive and learn the music from him, so it will be absolutely authentic. When we told Mr.Balamurali that we were going to Russia, he changed the original lyrics and rewrote it for us, incorporating the relationship between India and Russia and brought in our names as well. Reluctant to use this, we used the original lyrics.�

�When Balamurali came to see our rehearsal, he insisted that we have to incorporate the sahitya with our names in it and choreograph it then and there in his presence. He turned down our excuse that we did not want our names figuring in it, he said it was his composition and we should use what he gave us. He even sang for us that day and we completed the choreography for this thillana.�

�Contrary to the original schedule, when we went to Russia, we were given performances in smaller places at smaller venues, our program at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow was also cancelled and someone else was given the slot. A representative from the Russian side who accompanied us on our 2 ½ month tour, kept their head office informed of our progress. We were asked why we were not performing at Moscow, one of the main cultural centres. We said we had no idea because the plan was drawn up by the ICCR. Because our 22-member troupe was fully present on stage as per our contract, and our performances were so well received, the Russian counterpart wanted to present us at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, but the Indian Embassy expressed its inability to arrange this, as the hall was already booked. As luck would have it, the Bolshoi Theatre closed down for repairs and we were assigned another beautiful space called the Tchaikovsky Theatre, where we were to perform before leaving for India. With great difficulty, we managed to extend our tickets and get seats on the next flight out of Moscow. No publicity had been given for our program, but God helps in strange ways.�

�Tchaikovsky Theatre being a venue for music where dance had never been presented, had a central stage surrounded by seats. So we had to make innovations for the orchestra seating, entries and exits. As we were rehearsing this, a TV crew who happened to come to the place for some news coverage, saw our dancers in their beautiful clothes and taken in, they did a full coverage of the forthcoming program, complete with interviews, which was flashed on national television. The good publicity resulted in packed halls, a wonderful experience.�

�We left Russia 2 days after the show. The whole trip was a great experience and exposure for the young Bharata Kalanjali dancers.�


NRITYA TARANGINI - Photo Album