‘Kaleidoscope of Indian Classical Dance’ to be presented Saturday, Feb. 21, at Tusculum College

Three types of Indian classical dance will be featured during a performance on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Tusculum College.

“Kaleidoscope of Indian Classical Dance” with dancers Sophia Salingaros, Samta Savla and Ranjani Murthy will be presented at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus. The performance is part of Tusculum College Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2014-15 performance and lecture series.

Bharatha Natym, Kuchipudi and Kathak classical dances will be featured during the performance. 

Salingaros will be performing Bharatha Natym dance, which originated in southern India and started as a temple dance tradition. The name of the dance is a simple derivation from the Sanskrit name for the four most important aspects of the dance – emotion, melody, rhythm and dance. Thus, Bharatha Natym encompasses music, rhythm and expressional dance and strictly adheres to the Natyashastra (the scripture of classical Indian dance). Salingaros is a student in the Kaveri Natya Yoga School in San Antonio, Texas. She was a Young Arts Finalist in Bharatha Natym in Miami.

Murthy will be performing Kuchipudi dance, which is one of the art forms South India. Kuchipudi presents scenes from Hindu epics and mythological tales through dance dramas that combine music, dance and acting. While Kuchipudi, like Bharatha Natym, is compromised of pure dance, mime  and sensors expressions, it is the use of speech that distinguishes its presentation as dance drama. Murthy has given programs and won many competitions across the country. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is pursuing a degree in health information technology and a professional career in Indian classical dances.

Savla will be performing Kathak, one of the nine different classical dance forms of India and one of the most dynamic theater arts in the world. The dance is renowned for its intricate rhythmic footwork, swift and numerous spins, and graceful, delicate expressions. From its early form as a devotional expression devoted to Hindu gods, Kathak gradually moved out of temples and into the courts of the Hindu maharajas and the Mughal kings. Much later, during the mid-1800s, the dance enjoyed a renaissance and gained prominence as a classical art form. It is a continually evolving dance form and has been recently been fused with aspects of contemporary dance. Savla has been training in Kathak since the tender age of five. She has trained at the National Institute of Kathak in New Delhi.

Admission for the performance is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60 and over and $5 for children. For more information, please contact Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620 or emailjhollowell@tusculum.edu.