DEEPA MAHADEVAN
With the blessings of
Sri Sadguru Sadasiva Brahmendrar,
Gnanacheri, Chennai
We invite you to the Bharatanatyam Arangetram
(Solo dance graduation recital)
of
ADHIRAI KARTHIK
(Daughter and disciple of Dr. Deepa Mahadevan,
Founder/Artistic Director, Tiruchitrambalam School of Dance)
September 3, 2023, 3.30PM
Woodside High School Auditorium
199 Churchill Avenue, Woodside CA
​
GUEST OF HONOR:
Kalaimamani Guru Madurai R Muralidharan
Please stay back and join us for dinner and pictures after the event.
​
With warm regards,
Karthik Krishnamurthy
Deepa Mahadevan
Sufi Karthik
Program
Ganesha Stuti - “Aanai Mugatnone…”
Ragam - Gambeera Naatai
Talam - Adi
Composition - Madurai R Muralidharan
Choreography - Deepa Mahadevan
This is an invocation to Ganesha, the elephant-faced god of the Hindu pantheon who is the remover of obstacles. He is the five-faced one who dances his happy dance and blesses his devotees.
Alarippu
Ragamalika
Talam - Sankeerna Jhampa
Composition - Shruthi Aravindan
Choreography - Shruthi Aravindan
Alarippu, also known as ‘Abhyasa Nadanam’ is envisioned to warm up the dancer to blossom out all her major and minor limbs of her body to gear her for the challenge of the ‘Margam’- the full suite of items of a Bharatanatyam recital- that stands ahead of her. It is founded on rhythm and is set in three speeds.
Jathiswaram
Ragam- Vagadeeshwari
Talam- Khanda Dhruvam
Composition - Madurai R Muralidharan
Choreography - Deepa Mahadevan
The choreography of the Jathiswaram draws inspirations both from Jathis, formed from Mridangam syllables and melodic Swara patterns or Solfa notes to create movement patterns. We set the creative context for this Jathiswaram in the life-giving forest where animals come alive to give shape and form to music.
Varnam- “Thai mugam kaanaadha…”
Saptapriyamalika
Talam - Adi
Composition - Madurai R Muralidharan
Choreography- Deepa Mahadevan
The Varnam is the longest and most complex piece of a Bharatanatyam recital. It gives the dancer ample scope to explore facial expressions, theatricality, movement precision, and rhythmic complexity. The lyrics of this Varnam imagine Krishna complaining to his mother, Yashoda, that she is partial to his brother, Balarama. He argues Yashoda treats him differently because he is the foster son of Yashoda and not her own. He bemoans that she makes him work hard but doesn’t give him enough food, making him steal butter or even eat mud as the last resort. He points out that she gives his brother whatever his heart desires leaving Krishna with the leftovers. This Varnam takes several twists and turns before leaving us wondering if the mischievous Krishna is once again pulling a fast one on his mother.
“Am I content? Am I free?”
Lyrics, concept and script - Adhirai Karthik
Composition - Asha Ramesh
Rhythm - Tanjavur Kesavan and Deepa Mahadevan
Choroegraphy - Adhirai Karthik and Deepa Mahadevan
We are all one; we breathe the same air; we are extensions of each other yet why do we feel incomplete, inadequate and not content. This piece is an exploration of the human mind and hopes to leave us with questions to seek answers.
Padam - “Kalyana Sundareswari”
Ragam - Kalyani
Talam - Misra Chaapu
Composition - Madurai R Muralidharan
Choreography - Deepa Mahadevan
Meenakshi, the warrior queen of Madurai is preparing to get married to Sundareshwar, a manifestation of Siva. This composition shows layers to this goddess who was born androgynous and blends aspects of “male” and “female” energies in her being.
Thillana
Ragam- Nashika Booshani
Talam- Sankeerna Triputa
Composition- Madurai R Muralidharan
Choreography - Deepa Mahadevan
A Thillana is always a fitting finale to a Bharatanatyam recital. The Thillana with its striking poses and enigmatic pauses keeps the mood upbeat for a delightful ending to a recital. The lyrics of this Thillana is on the Mother goddess and the poet seeks a glimpse of her loving face to blow away any troubles that come in one’s way.
Artists
About Adhirai Karthik
Adhirai Karthik has been a student of Bharatnatyam under her mother, Dr. Deepa Mahadevan, since the age of four. In addition to that she has taken part in several workshops with Guru Madurai R Muralidharan and other visiting teachers from India since 2020.
She has also played key roles in many mega musical productions of Guru Muralidharan like ‘Sivagaminyin Sabadam’ (2013), ‘Yagnaseni’ (2015), ‘Avatara Purushan’ (2016), Yadhava Madhava’’ (2018), Sanga Tamil (2020), to name a few.
Adhirai started learning Carnatic music under Guru Nandini Ramamurthi and now continues to pursue it under Vidushi Manasa Suresh.
Adhirai is also invested in acting both for the camera and theater. She was nominated as the best actress for ‘Saa Boo III’, a short film directed by Mohan Subramanian for BAFA. She was also the protagonist for a dance film, ‘Tradition Objectified’ which was nominated for the Davis Film Festival. Adhirai has also been featured in ‘Prematho’ another short film directed by Harshith Kotni from NYU Tisch. Adhirai is part of her High School Drama club and continues to take part in theater and musical productions throughout the year.
Adhirai is part of her high school Acapella team. She enjoys exploring and understanding music technique both through her western and Indian vocal training. Adhirai assists her mother in teaching younger children at Tiruchitrambalam School of Dance in New Jersey.
She is a Sophomore in Ridge High School. She is part of the Ridge Education, Action and Community Health club (REACH) and has been nominated to lead as a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member.
Nattuvangam - Dr. Deepa Mahadevan
Deepa Mahadevan is a disciple of Guru Usha Srinivasan and Madurai R Muralidharan. She traces her hereditary lineage to Nattuvanar, K N Dandayudapani Pillai, who was her teacher, Usha Srinivasan’s Guru.
Deepa is trained in Kalari Payattu, and Yoga. As a student of Odissi she has been performing Odissi for a decade. Deepa is trained in Carnatic music and is a student of Sanskrit with Samskrita Bharati.
Deepa completed her PhD with University of California, Davis in Performance Studies and is a published scholar. Her research traces Bharatanatyam aesthetics from 1930s to the 2020s.
Deepa is an active member of Dance Studies Association, National Dance Education Organization, Dance New Jersey and Intercultural Roots where she presents papers, conducts workshops, performs and fosters collaborations.
Deepa’s aesthetics is an amalgam of her different artistic collaborations over twenty five years of professional dancing, which she offers to her students.
Deepa is the founder and artistic director of Tiruchitrambalam School of Dance. Over thirty students from Tiruchitrambalam have completed their Solo dance graduation recital under Deepa’s guidance. Students of Tiruchitrambalam have also won awards, participated in mega productions and performed in prestigious venues including the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Young Arts Festival, Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, Rotunda Festival, Dance New Jersey Festival to name a few.
Deepa’s practice weighs heavily on improvisation and creating work 'with the audience' than 'at the audience.' She constantly strives to find space in her practice that celebrates spontaneity while dealing with uncertainty. She hopes to pass on this curiosity and the excitement to delve into uncertainty as her artistic legacy to her students.
Nattuvangam for Alarippu - Shruthi Aravindan
Shruthi Aravindan has studied Carnatic music for over 20 years and is currently a student of Dr. Gayathri Girish. She has performed multiple full-length concerts and kutcheris in the US and in India. Shruthi has provided vocal support for many dance arangetrams and rangepravesams, in addition to multiple productions and programs.
Shruthi has also pursued Bharathanatyam dance training under the tutelage of Dr. Deepa Mahadevan for over 20 years. She successfully completed her Bharathanatyam arangetram in August 2008 at the age of 10. Since then, she has been an ardent performer, instructor, and budding composer. Shruthi’s expertise in dance, music, and rhythm gives her a unique vantage point to synthesize these multiple disciplines in her creative explorations.
Shruthi currently works as a Senior Systems Engineer at Guardant Health.
Vocal - Asha Ramesh
Asha Ramesh, a resident of San Jose CA, is a highly accomplished versatile vocalist. She is a disciple of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Sri. D. K. Jayaraman and Nanganallur V. Ramanathan. Asha has won several awards in recognition of her immense talent - Rajaji Memorial Tambura award, the Swaminatha Pillai Memorial Gold Medal and the Vijayalakshmi Memorial Award for Best Vocalist from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. The titles bestowed upon her include Gana Kala Bhushani, Gana Kala Ratnam, Mathura Isai Vani, Isai Arasi She has composed music for numerous dance productions for dancers all over the world.
Asha is the founder and artistic director of Ragamalika School of Music in San Jose, California since 1992.
Most recently Asha collaborated with her son Rohith Jayaraman, a world class musician himself, to release an original album Manam, talking about social issues.
Percussion - N Kesavan
Sri Thanjavur R Kesavan is a renowned percussionist and a Nattuvangam Artiste in the field of performing arts. Kesavan has an illustrious lineage and belongs to a family dedicated to music for four generations. His artistry and consistent technical perfection have made him a leading Mridangam artiste in New Delhi, India. Kesavan has managed to capture the hearts of music rasikas all over the world with his versatile and masterful performances. Kesavan's fine music instincts are imbibed from his great family lineage and the traditions of his Guru Parampara. He has promoted and projected promising students and has imparted to many of them the art of Mridangam. Many of his disciples completed their Arangetram with Kesavan and many budding talents have been encouraged by him through various scholarships and exposure to prestigious concert platforms. Kesavan feels pride with humility in the proficiency that has given him fame and acclaim as a successful artiste of India with high repute. Kesavan can play other percussion instruments like Thavil, Kanjeera, and Pakhwaj with the same felicity and ease. Kesavan is a A-grade artist in Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) and empanelled artist in Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Kesavan is the recipient of several awards such as Sangeeta Bhushan, Mridangam Chakravarthy, to name a few.
Flute - Vishweshwar Nagaraj
Visveshwar N is a renowned flautist who carries the prestigious A-grade rating from AIR radio, one of the youngest ever to receive this honor. Now residing in New Jersey, his music has resonated across the globe.
Visveshwar began his musical journey at just nine years old. Over the past 17 years, he has presented over 1,200 concerts, with his music transcending borders and styles. His repertoire spans a wide range, from traditional Carnatic concerts to Bollywood music for weddings. He has also provided supporting music for dance productions and performed Indian Jazz fusion music at international festivals with his band.
His early training and inspiration were from his grandfather, Singanallur Ramaraja Iyer. His exceptional talent was recognized early when he was awarded the "Best Instrumentalist Prize" by the esteemed Madras Music Academy at the age of 14. His career is marked by numerous prestigious titles, including "Venu Gana Rathna", "Venu Ilamamani", "Vamshi Kaladhara", and "Bala Kala Rathna". In recognition of his remarkable abilities, he was granted a cultural scholarship by the government.
Aside from his musical endeavors, Visveshwar is also an alumnus of Cornell University and currently serves as a cloud product manager.
Veena - Hrishikesh Chary
Hrishikesh Chary started learning the veena at the age of six from his father, Sri Srikanth Chary, who is a disciple of the late music maestro, Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman.
Hrishikesh has performed solo veena concerts in the United States and India. He has performed on television and provided orchestral accompaniment for various programs, CD releases, and dance performances. In 2014, Hrishikesh was selected as a Fellow by Indian Raga, and awarded a music fellowship.
In addition, Hrishikesh has received vocal training from Smt. Hema Sista, a disciple of the late Smt. M. L. Vasanthakumari.
Hrishikesh has won several prizes in veena and vocal competitions including the prestigious Cleveland Aradhana Concert Competition, and was awarded a tambura and the opportunity to present a veena concert at the 2011 festival. He has also been invited to participate in instrumental ensembles, including performances with Sri V. V. Subrahmanyam, at the Cleveland Festival. He performs veena duets with his sister, Priyanka, regularly in Chennai during the Margazhi Music Festival.
Hrishikesh has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from UC San Diego, and a Master’s degree from Purdue University.
Voice over artist - Aditi Gopalan
- started bharatnatyam training under Dr. Deepa Mahadevan at the age of 5, completed arangetram in 2013 under her guidance
- started learning bollywood at the age of 4 under Ranjani Manda, Director of Aerodance Academy.
- began teaching dance classes to children and adults at the age of 12
- She has been part of 'Matrusena' the performing ensemble of Tiruchitrambalam and performed at the Ethnic Dance Festiva, Rotunda dance festival, Asian Arts museum. She has also participated in mega productions like Silapadhigaram, Sivagamiyin Sabadam, and Nayaka Nayaki.
- was captain of her high school dance team Tufaan and was the youngest captain in the history of her collegiate Bollywood Fusion dance team Boston University Jalwa and led them to win several national dance championships
- she received her bachelors in business administration and management from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business
- she has performed at half time shows for the Golden State Warriors, and danced alongside artists such as Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Bappi Lahiri, Puneet Rajkumar, Mallika Sherawat, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Vaibhavi Merchant and many more.
- she was the assistant choreographer for Kannada movie Adhyaksha in America and was featured as a background dancer in several movies and music videos
- she is based in the Bay Area and currently works as a senior functional consultant for a Big 4 firm.