Rangapravesam of Manasa Maana's - Guru: Smt Padma Hemanth, Sangeeth Bharathi Institute of Arts, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru - 27th Sept 2015 at KEA Prabhath Rangamandira, Kamalanagar, Bengaluru.

Manasa Maanas’s dance recital began with the prayer song to invoke blessing of Lord Ganesha. Manasa made her entrance with Pushpanjali set in Khadyodkanthi raga and Adi tala where she saluted to Lord Nataraja, her Guru Smt Padma Hemanth and the Music Ensemble. This was flowed by Ganesha Stuthi ‘Prabho Ganapathe’ set in Thillang raga and Chathurashra Eka Tala. Next item in row was ‘Kanjadalayatakshi’ in Kamalamanohari raga and Adi tala. This item in ‘Shringara Rasa’, praises the diety Kamakshi of her magnificent beauty and grace. The jathis of the item had Karanas to beautify and intensify the Shringara Rasa of this beautifully choreographed item and the dancer executed it gracefully.


In the next piece, Manasa presented a Pada Varnam in Kambodhi raga, Adi tala composed by T S KalyanaSundaram Pillai, called ‘Nathanai Azhathu Vaa’ portraying the Virahothkanditha Nayika pining for Lord Murugan. The artist’s presentation grew intense as the item progressed, when the heroin shuns food and finds no interest in anything around. She wonders if her Lord had forgotten all the love-filled days they spent together and if her Lord was indeed stone-hearted as he seemed. The heroin reverts to an enumeration of her Lord’s beauty, greatness and charm in the charanams. This item predominantly adhered to the tradition and the classical flavor characterized both nritta and nritya.

After a short break, Manasa came with a Javali ‘Samayamide’ in Behag raga and Rupaka Tala which makes the audience feel like an open marriage of modern times where the nayika speaks to calls her lover, chides him and reminds about the appropriateness of romance at that time as the audience follow the artist's expressions... sharing the feelings. In the next item Devaranama in Shankarabharana Raga and MishraChapu Tala, Purandhara Dasa’s ‘Pagadirelo Ranga’ has Manasa showing her Abhinaya Skills while playfully convincing Ranga(Bala Krishna) not to leave the house to go out and play. She pacifies him with fresh butter, scares him with bhagavatas kidnapping him and bribing him with bells to play. She manages to show Krishna’s action merely through her reactions as a mother and greatly captures the audience’s interest as they get consumed in her Abhinaya.

After the abhinaya item with Pogadirelo Ranga, the artist graces the stage for her final item Tillana set in Behag raga and Mishra Chapu tala. The Mangalam was a beautiful piece executed to offer the performance to Lord Krishna’s holy feet.

The magical music ensemble had Guru Smt Padma Hemanth (Nattuvangam), Sri BalaSubramanya Sharma(Vocal), Sri Janardhan Rao (Mrudangam), Sri B R Hemanth Kumar (Violin), Sri Vivek Krishna (Flute) & Sri Karthik Vydhatri (Rhythm Pads) providing non-stop engrossing music. Sheetal Hemanth, compered for the evening with her soothing voice, provided the audience all the information about the items, artists, gurus and the guests as the program went on. The guests for the evening of 27th September 2015 at KEA Prabhath Rangamandira for the occasion included Guru Smt Dr Suparna Venkatesh, Director of Sai Arts International and Dr M S Murthy, Chairman of LalithKala Academy, Govt of Karnataka. *Manasa’s successful Rangapravesha was the 5th debut dance presented by Guru Smt Padma Hemanth under Sangeeth Bharathi Institute of Arts, Vijayanagar, Bangalore.
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Contributors- Credits- Pic & Report - Sep2015, Hamara, PriyaLasya, (C), Do Not Copy, Copyrights Acknowledged, All views are of the author and contributor of the report,