New Delhi: India is renowned for having a vibrant cultural heritage. Every state in India has its own distinctive style and means of presenting its art form, whether it be art, music, dance, or theatre. The ancient art of Indian classical dance is being practised even today by devotees in several regions of the nation. Among them are Padma Bhushan Awardees Raja and Radha Reddy who are maestros of Kuchipudi Dance and they have been successfully spreading the culture and art form through their 'Parampara Series'.
Speaking of Raja and Radha Reddy, they are renowned Kuchipudi dancers, who have been performing and teaching Kuchipudi classical dance for over 50 years till date and are solely responsible for bringing out Kuchipudi onto the cultural map of the world. Their entire family is dedicated to the propagation of the Kuchipudi Classical Dance of India.
In continuation of their efforts, apart from performing themselves, and bearing in mind the necessity of passing on Kuchipudi classical dance form to their younger generations, they have set up a dance institute named 'Natya Tarangini Performing Arts Centre' which strives to spread the rich cultural values in India and abroad.
Over the years, the institution has been successfully spreading quality arts among its audience through the annually organized National Festival of Dance and Music titled ‘Parampara Series’ for the past 26 years and Anniversary Celebration (World Dance Day) on 29th April every year.
World Dance Day 2023 Celebrations by Natya Tarangini Performing Arts Centre:
As part of World Dance Day, this year, Natya Tarangini will be celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav- 'GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA', a series, which is planned for 3 days (27th to 29th April 2023). The performances feature a combination of gurus and their shishyas. The idea behind the series is to showcase the rich Indian tradition of Guru-Shishya teachings and exchange, while simultaneously showcasing handing down of the torch of each performing tradition from the stalwart to the next generation since India got its Azadi.
This year’s performances are by artists whose work inspires devotion to art and life across India and globally. The event is specially curated by Natya Tarangini’s Artistic Director, Mrs Kaushalya Reddy.
The performances on the respective days are as follows: Sharon Lowen and Kaushalya Reddy will be gracing the occasion with Odissi and Kuchipudi respectively on 27th April. On 28th April, Manipuri Dancer Kalavati Devi and Mohiniattam Dancer Kalaratnam Kala Vijayan will be performing. Finally, 29th April, will witness a saga of dancers performing Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and at the end Drs. Raja Radha Reddy performing Kuchipudi.
In continuation to the World Dance Week, Natya Tarangini will also celebrate its 47th Annual Day on 30th April 2023 to showcase the passing of the teachings from the Guru to their Shishyas with performances by the Shishyas of Natya Tarangini.