MR NANDHA GOVENDER

1. Natesha Kauthuvam An invocation to Lord Nataraja who is the One who performs the Cosmic Dance. He is the Lord of Lords; the One who is worshipped by all, and the One who dances with a drum in one hand. The lyrics further describe the Lord’s iconic features, such as wearing ankle bells, holding the trident, and riding Nandi the bull. Ragam: Hamsadwani Taalam: Adi Choreography: Shrimati Manormani Govender

2. Allaripu Allaripu literally means “the blossoming of the flower”. It is the first item in a Bharatanatyam dance recital. Beginning with a standing posture, the movements of the neck, eyes, shoulder, arms, and hands are introduced with great charm, followed by torso and finally legs and feet. The recital ends with a small adavu or dance unit ending in a teermanam. It is a perfect example of a pure (nritta) dance sequence executed through concentrated, yet elemental, rhythmic patterns. Ragam: Naatai Taalam: Tisra Ekam 3. Jathiswaram A Jathiswaram is a dance composition that focuses on rhythmic patterns and melodic passages, rather than lyrics. It has multiple sections of different lengths, with transitions between slow and fast tempos. Ragam: Kalyani Taalam: Rupakam