LALIT ARPAN - CONTINUING GURU SHISHYA TRADITION

New Delhi: An evening was hosted by Artists Shruti Gupta Chandra, Supriya Sathe, Mrinalini and Kartika Singh as a tribute and a celebration of the Guru-shishya Parampara- CONTINUING TRADITION by presenting a selected pieces from their Guru Shovana Narayan's repertoire . This two day kathak dance festival - CONTINUING TRADITION of the 18TH Edition of Lalit Arpan took place on 10th and 12th October 2016 at India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi.

Artists Shruti Gupta Chandra on the occasion said, " I think there can be no better offering to a Guru that the art itself- what one has learnt from the Guru. CONTINUING TRADITION is just that for all of us- a homage to Guru Shovana Narayan with what we have imbibed from her over the years. The celebration of the Guru- Shishya relationship in the most intrinsic meaning of the term. Each of us dances a favourite item of Shovana Didi".

In this two day event , four disciples of the eminent Guru presented Kathak in its pure traditional style.

The inaugural evening began with an item Ganga Stuti - an invocation by Shruti Gupta and Supriya Sathe.

Shruti Gupta Chandra performed on Yashodhra - A trademark of her guru , where the wife of Gautam Budh- Yashodhara- laments the stealing away of Budh in the night without telling her and Supriya performed on "chaand" one of her favourite pieces from her gurus repertoire where The poet, get struck by the beauty of the moonlight,a child , who wants it for toy and a mother for whom it is a lullaby."

On the second day, The second evening opened with the performance of Kartika Singh portrayed one of the most sought after pieces from her Guru's repertoire, Draupadi Cheer Haran. Set to a bhajan by Surdas, "Ankhiyan Hari Darshan Ki Pyaasi", the piece talks of longing for the beloved, when the aatma seeks the parmatma and Mrinalini performed to one of her Guru's strong narratives on retracing Ramayana mythology along with the abhinaya sequences, each dancer performs pure dance sequences set to teen taal, dhamar and 11 beats.