PROGRAM NOTES

JUNE 7TH | SATURDAY

We will be presenting 

Deepta Seshadri

who will be performing 

Varnam : Sarasaalanu Ipudu

Ragam : Karnataka Kapi

Talam : Roopaka 

Composition : Ponnayya of the Thanjavur Quartet

Music Composition : Sri TV Ramprasadh

Choreography by : Acharya Smt. Indira Kadambi.

The Nayika or the protagonist addresses her beloved (Lord Brihadeesvara of Thanjavur) and beseeches him to be one with her. She says (Pallavi): Oh Lord, you who are so receptive to love, why are you feigning indifference towards me? I want to be one with you, will you not listen to me? There’s a short exploration based on the lyric of this line, where she establishes that he continues to be indifferent towards her despite her bold declarations of love. She then moves on to say (Anupallavi): You who are the most compassionate, will you not show any compassion towards me? When all life was withering away, you were the one that gave the nectar of life to all living beings. In the same way, I (akin to a creeper) wither away now without your love. As the tree of life itself, will you not show me support and compassion, and join me in love? All I desire is to be united with you always. Let me be wrapped in your matted locks and like the serpent that coils all over you, I too will be bound to you. As I am united with you, so are you bound to me — I am the twinkle in your eye, you are in every breath of mine and are hearts are bound together. Please understand this and come quickly!

Seeing his continued indifference, the protagonist (in the Charanam) changed her approach to the conversation and says: I know you are greater than anyone else! But you must know that I am no ordinary woman. I’m the only one who is your equal. You must be with me! Accept my love for you, and stop playing these games with me.

It is inferred that the Nayika has a prior relationship with the beloved. While it is addressed to Lord Brihadeesvara, given that the Varnam was danced in the Thanjavur court, it is interpreted to also mean a reference to the then king of the court.

FOLLOWED BY

Shreyaa Suresh

who will be performing  

Varnam :  Bhavayami Raghuramam

Ragam : Ragamalika

Talam : Rupakam

Music Composition : Swathi Thirunal

Originally choreographed in the varnam format by Smt. Anitha Guha, Bhavayami Raghuramam brings to life the epic of the Ramayana, tracing the narrative from Rama’s marriage to Sita to her return. Having grown up performing in my guru’s dance dramas, this piece was first choreographed as part of a group margam production, where I often portrayed Lord Rama. Now, I have the privilege of presenting it as a solo. Under her guidance, I’ve learned to shape each character with nuance and vitality through carefully crafted sancharis, a process that continues to draw me deeply into the piece. For me, dance is ultimately about storytelling, and this varnam allows me to do just that: bring stories to life through my craft. 

JUNE 8TH | SUNDAY

We will be presenting 

Apoorva Jayaraman

who will be performing  

Varnam : Maa Moha Lahiri Meerude

Ragam : Khamas

"My relationship with the Bharatanatyam Pada Varnam has been a hard-earned one. I questioned its premise, debated its format, and wrestled with its intent—only to discover, in the process, its profound role as a mirror to the human quest. This journey reaffirmed for me the varnam's rightful place at the heart of the Bharatanatyam margam.

For Varnam Salon NYC, I will be presenting a personal favourite – Maa Moha Lahiri Meerude – in the Tamil language and Khamas rāgam. This varnam stands out as a unique gem in the treasure trove of dance literature, for more than one reason. While exploring the meaning and context of the Tamil lyrics—which are themselves unusual for their extensive use of phonetic play and word-meaning nuances—I learned that the varnam traces its origins to the Kuravanji tradition. This means that, often through the piece, the words can be attributed to the sakhi instead of the nāyikā, or at times, equivalently to both. It is one of those rare compositions where the composer of the music (dātu) and the lyrics (mātu) are different, creating a fascinating interplay between the two elements. This varnam holds a special place in my journey, as it was the first one for which I took on the choreography of the jathis."

FOLLOWED BY

Neha Asuri

who will be performing 

Varnam : Mogamaginen Intha Velaiyil

Ragam : Karaharapriya

Talam : Adi 

Composition : Vidwaan Sri. K.N. Dandayuthapani Pillai,

(composed in the mid-1900s. This varnam was choreographed to be set in the 18th-19th century.)

Choreography by : Smt. Lavanya Ananth

Jathi composition: traditional Vazhuvoor jathis

Language: Tamil

This sringara varnam features a young nayika, perhaps in her 20s, who is intensely overcome with love and longing to be united with her nayaka, Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram, and pleads with her sakhi to go immediately and bring him to her.

Pallavi

mogamaginen intha velaiyil - I have become besotted (mogamaginen) at this (intha) time (velayil)

Sanchari - The nayika explains to her sakhi how she fell in love with Lord Shiva and describes the unique attributes that attracted her.

maran kanai payuthe vagai ariyen - Manmatha's (maaran) arrows (kanai) are striking me (payuthe), I do not know (ariyen) the kind (vagai) 

Sanchari - The nayika hypothesizes how Manmatha, the invisible god of love, is striking her with arrows to lead to the complex entangling of emotions she is unable to comprehend.

Anupallavi

yogamigum ponnambalam thannil natanamadum - The auspicious one (yogamigum) who dances (natanamadum) on (thannil) the golden stage (ponnambalam)

Sanchari - The nayika recalls witnessing the beauty of the Chidambaram temple and experiencing enthrallment when finally watching Lord Nataraja's divine dance in the inner sanctum, behind a curtain ("Chidambara Ragasiyam"). 

vagan ennai maruva varuvano solladi - The lord who rides on the bull (vagan), will he come (varuvano) to embrace (maruva) me (ennai)? Please tell me (solladi)

Sanchari - The nayika wishes to unite with her lord and wonders if he will come to accept her love.