Opportunities galore for students of classical dance and music during Navaratri in Tiruchi

This year’s Navarathri festival has brought many new talents to the fore with daily programmes; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan alone plans to hold 50 programmes next year

Classical dance and musical artistes, both young and old, have gained exposure and a new fan following, thanks to a growing number of venues to hold cultural programmes in Tiruchi.

This year’s Navaratri festival has brought many new talents to the fore while preserving traditional art forms for posterity, said event organisers.

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) supported by Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru, conducted daily cultural outreach programmes at Sri Raghavendra Swamy Math, Srirangam, and National College in Tiruchi, as part of Navaratri celebrations this year.

The evening slots were filled with dance and music recitals featuring local and regional artistes.

J.T. Chari, director, projects, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Tiruchi Kendra, told The Hindu that the programmes were meant to motivate young performers in classical dance, vocal, and instrumental music. “In 2025, we are planning to organise over 50 programmes at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and will be hosting the Guruvara Mahotsava for youth artistes every Thursday from January,” he said.

Bharatanatyam exponent Thushara Srinivasan, who runs the Lasya Nrityalayam in Srirangam, recently presented a dance with her students at Raghavendra Swamy Math under the auspices of the Bhavan.

“After the pandemic, classical dance has become more popular on social media. This is reflected in the real world too where programmes are organised more frequently than say a few years ago,” said Ms. Srinivasan.

However, she said that artistes who are still learning the ropes should focus on building their skills. “The number of ‘likes’ on social media does not matter. One has to know one’s craft, which takes time and practice,” she said.

Carnatic vocalist R. Kashyap Mahesh, who had a busy Navaratri period with at least 13 recitals in the State and Kerala this year, said festival concerts were a useful platform to spot new talent. “They allow established artistes and newcomers to be featured in the same day’s line-up. Veterans could encourage young people by including them in their next programme,” he said.

Rise in admissions

Cultural academies in Tiruchi are seeing an upsurge in admissions of late, said Vrinda Ramanan of Bala Kala Vidhanam school.

“Some institutions have become so busy that a major part of the rehearsals are done through conference calls with only a few sessions offline. However, artistes often finance themselves while performing at free programmes. In some instances when only live musical accompaniment is permitted, the orchestra cost alone can be over ₹25,000,” she added.

Published - October 12, 2024 08:37 pm IST