Guest guest Report post Posted May 17, 2004 What: 3rd Annual Himalayan Fest Where: Krishna Temple, 8628 S Main St., Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 When: Saturday, June 5th at 6 pm Contacts: Caru and Vai 798-3559/787-1510 carudas (AT) utahkrishnas (DOT) com www.utahkrishnas.com The 3rd Annual Himalayan Performing Arts Festival will be held Saturday June 5th at the Krishna Temple one mile south of Spanish Fork on Main St. Performing artists will take the stage from 6 pm, and present a menu of folk dance, classical Indian dance, drama, music and songs. One presenter will be Anju Thapaliya, from Nepal, who will demonstrate the folk dancing of this mountain kingdom. Jaya Vijaya Das, who spent 10 years traveling the Himalayan regions in preparation for his acclaimed book, ³Mother Ganges,² will narrate a 45 minute slide show projected onto a 9¹ X 12¹ screen. Lakshmi Iyengar* & Shyamala Moorthy* from the Rangoli Dance School, in Los Angeles, will present graceful, fast moving 'Bharatanatyam' dances featuring Pushpanjali (offering of flowers and respects to gods, mother earth, and teachers), descriptive dances on Shiva, and Krishna and Thillana, dance of celebration. Inserted amongst the dance programs will be one drama and one comedy. The drama will portray a legendary story of ³Lord Shiva² who resides deep in the Himalayas atop Mount Kailash. The comedy is called ³The Cobbler & the Brahmin². Based on the Bhagavad Gita, this fun play counterpoints a humble cobbler and a farcically arrogant brahmin. Acting in the dramas will be, Karuna Manna, Jon Chavez, Garuda Das, Joe Perry, Divya Frazier, Siddhartha Das, and Caru Das. Malthi Thulasiram*, an accomplished classical Indian dancer, will perform several pieces appropriate to the theme of the festival. Malathi is beginning with Pushpanjali, offering flowers and praying to Guru and to the lord of dance seeking their blessings. She is also performing Ashtapadi from Jayadeva¹s Geeta Govinda. Throughout, festival goers can purchase hot meals of the regional cuisine, consisting of curries with homemade cheese (paneer), rice pilao, blueberry hallava, papadams, mango lassi etc. There will be exhibits on the art, culture, dance styles, history, and cuisine of India. Admission fee is $3.00 adults, $1.00 children. Those who would like to call or e-mail to volunteer for 1 and 1/2 hours in the food booth or with parking etc., will receive a free festival t shirt. For more information contact Caru or Vai at 798-3559/787-1510 or visit the web site www.utahkrishnas.com *Lakshmi Iyengar, a young Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) dancer is a disciple of the master teacher, Malathi Iyengar (Los Angeles). Lakshmi has also studied with Guru Narmada (Bangalore, India), Malathi Iyengar¹s mentor. She performed her solo dance debut in 1993, at the age of eleven. Lakshmi has been dancing for the past sixteen years and has performed extensively all over United States, Canada, and India. A lead dancer and production designer for the Rangoli Dance Company, she has performed in all major productions and choreographic works of Malathi Iyengar. Lakshmi has been nominated twice for Lester Horton Dance Awards for outstanding achievement in Performance of Gati-Pragati’ and Sarasijanabha Varnam’ 2001. Lakshmi¹s recent performances include: Yuvakala’ 6th Kalanidhi International Dance Festival 2003 in Toronto, Canada & December 2003 Music and Dance Festivals in Chennai, India. Lakshmi is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Theater (Production Design) and Italian Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. Lakshmi recently completed a year at the University of Bologna, Italy as a part of the Study Abroad Program. ³.. .Lakshmi displayed sheer energy, though, in, Pushpanjali, in which precise footwork and intricate arm-weaving were on display. Lakshmi soared, in her 25 minute solo, Sarasijanabha, in which the dancer offers Krishna love. Punctuated with deep lunges, Lakshmi never lost her bearing while beating out poly-rhythms with her feet. - Victoria Loose-leaf, Los Angeles Times, September 2001 *Shyamala Moorty has been learning the beautiful and intricate form of Bharata Natyam from Malathi Iyengar since 1994. She has performed frequently with Malathi Iyengar¹s Rangoli Dance Company and as a soloist and principal dancer with the Aman International Music and Dance Ensemble. Shyamala has also studied ballet, modern dance, and choreography and holds an MFA in dance from UCLA's World Arts and Cultures Department. *Malathi Thulasiram has trained in Bharathanatyam at Keshava Nrithya Shala, Bangalore, India, under the guidance of Sri. H. R. Keshava Murthy and Sri B. K. Shyam Prakash. She has done her vidwath (professional) grade of examination and performed Rangapravesham in 1994. She also received her master¹s degree in Bharathanatyam from the department of performing arts, Bangalore University, Bangalore. She is graded artist of Doordarshan (Television Broadcasting Agency of India) and performed in various dance festivals such as Dasara, Ankura, Chalukya Samrajyotsava and so on. Malathi enhanced her training by participating in many workshops conducted by eminent gurus. Visit our web site at http://www.utahkrishnas.com. One drama every hour on Krishna Interent radio, at the Web site --For more stories and twice, thrice weekly updates on the Utah Krishna temple, join the KrishnaKulture/ Best wishes, Caru das and Vaibhavi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
