Friday, October 23, 2009

Fall festival of Indian Arts in DC: Alarmel Valli

Alarmel Valli, acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste and proponent of the Pandanallur style tonight :

Friday October 23 at 7:30 pm
Lincoln Theatre
1215 U Street NW
Washington D C


More details on the website and post performance reviews later tonight or tomorrow morning!
:-)

October 24, 2009






Beautiful!
the programme ended past 10 pm...the Dakshina presentation always comes before the featured artiste. More on this later.

Alarmel Valli, performing after 10 years in DC was her elegant, sparkling and vivid self. As was expected, her training in the Pandanallur style of bharathanatyam, brings forth the  exquisite aspects of abhinaya in her presentations.

The choreography and the understanding between the artist and her accompanists was seamless...the dancer and her musician/violinist were in a delicate rythm and tune during the entire session... even when Valli would end a piece, go off the stage and come back..the impromptu piece that Sigamani did flowed into her arrival in the music of her chellangai.

Seeing an artist on the stage it is easy to forget that some of them  can also express themselves  in words. Many artists who work in one medium  and language and try to explain it through words in the English language, fall short..
not the case with Alarmel Valli.

For someone who hears Alarmel Valli for the first time, it is something like a 10 year old's excalmation, "she speaks as well as she dances!" Erudite, not preachy, with just the right amount of translation into English, never losing the beauty of the original language, Valli has a beautiful voice too!

In her performance yesterday, she focussed on  her composition: The Forgotten Seed. She started off with Shiva Pancharatna Stotra which incorporated five rythmic variations, in cycles of 5, 4, 3, 7 and 9.

more later today evening....



Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Specially for Childrence, Palakkad, Kerala.

 Don't we love our Childrence Shope!


Emergencylambs, Palakkad, Kerala

My love for all kinds of banners and signboards found this gem in Palakkad town, Kerala.