ST LOUIS: The Labor Day weekend in St Louis was filled with various activities including the 1000th birth anniversary celebration of Sri Ramunaja
On Sept 2, at the Chesterfield Community Center, a Bharata Natyam Dance recital by Viraja and ShyamjithKiran was held. The dancing duo were trained in the prestigious Kalakshetra tradition and expanded their skills with further training with the Dhananjayans and Yoga Gurukula and established themselves as one of the top ranking artists in their field.
The central theme of most of the items was union with the divine. Ganesh Vandana was surrender to a divine power; in Tejohnidhi Lohgo, it was the union between the sun and the lotus. The eternal bond between Meera Bai and Lord Krishna was depicted in “Baso more nainan me”, the human and Lord Shiva in Rekha. Jayadeva’s Ashtapadi where Radha and Krishna yearn for each other, was elegantly portrayed by Viraja and the Surdas Bhajan Kambukundendu performed by Shyamjith was mesmerizing.
The evening concluded with a Tillana.
The audience was enriched by their dynamic performance and was held spellbound. The evening gave samples of their skills in all aspects of Bharata Natyam. The divine music compositions were enhanced by the graceful and precise movements of the dancing couple.
The event was sponsored by Abhinaya, a non-profit organization, established in St Louis in 1993 for the promotion of Classical Dances of India.
Ashwin Patel
