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In Praise of India:
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam performs Bharata
Nrityam
“Amma is symbol of spirituality. India has a lot
to give to this world, and Amma is doing that. God has
given us this human form for a very special purpose. We
have to live this life for love and harmony, like Amma.”
--Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam
In the final cultural programme before Amma began giving
darshan, “Bharata Natyam Dance” was performed
by one of India’s most famous and dedicated dancers,
Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam.
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In her performance, lasting over an
hour, she seamlessly and elegantly performed a variety
of ancient dances, accompanied by a small group of
musicians and vocalists.
Dr. Subrahmaniam’s vast knowledge of traditional Indian dance allows
her a wide range of dance styles. |
She performed: “Bharata Nrityana,” a 2000-year-old
dance from Karnataka performed in praise of Durga Devi; “Sri
Shakti,” a remarkably subtle and complex dance blending
concepts of masculine and feminine attributes, originally
choreographed for the United Nations “Mira Varnum,” a
representational and abstract work exploring the devotion
of Queen Mira to Lord Krishna; ”Namah Shivaya,” a
salutation to Lord Shiva; and “Kashmiri,” an
ancient dance from Kashmir which was composed and choreographed
from the descriptions that an elder Kashmiri woman personally
described to her. She dedicated this last work to the Kashmiri
people, who she hopes “will one day live in their country
free from fear and terror.”
Dr. Subrahmaniam’s performance
was accompanied by an equally extraordinary group of
classical Indian musicians and vocalists, who rose
to the divine occasion with their polyrhythmic percussive
beats, evocative sombre voices and thrilling, cohesive
playing. Dr. Subrahmaniam’s dramatic and subtle
gestures brought to light the flow and majesty of the
108 basic karana postures, which are usually depicted
as static poses, dancing them as a single flowing piece.
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While Dr. Subrahmaniam is considered an “institution
in herself” and has been the recipient of every award
there is for a dancer in India, she does more than carry
forth the traditions of ancient and modern dance. She dedicates
herself to her art—creating new music, directing her
own dance studio, which provides scholarships to underprivileged
students and produces scholarly papers for the seminars she
conducts worldwide.
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She exemplifies the traits of ancient
Indian art, combining the dedication to craft with
devotion to spiritual achievement. She is, like all
of the performers enjoyed during Amritavarsham50, carrying
forth the ideal of Amma’s mission—to preserve
and renew our worldwide cultural heritage with the
ideals of love. |
“When Amma received the “Gandhi-King Award
for Non-Violence,” I danced there on that evening.
I think I was the first one to greet Her when She came
off the stage. I really felt proud to be an Indian then.” --
Dr. Padma Subrahmaniam.
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