Five legends, one award

Dance maestros Yamini Krishnamurthy, Sonal Mansingh, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Birju Maharaj and Bharati Shivaji.

We see legendary dancers at shows and events and many a time we also attend their enriching workshops, where we learn lessons of a lifetime. We have also seen the same legendary artists win several awards; an accomplished dancer always gets awarded and applauded for his or her work all the time. But it is not always that one sees these legends all together at one time, on one stage, on a single platform, receiving the same award. Yes this happened recently, and oh what an event it was! In a treat for all dancers and dance lovers, five legendary Indian classical dancers came together to perform and at the same time and were felicitated with the prestigious ‘Nataraja Samman’

The ‘Sadguru Sri Thyagabrahma Aradhana Kainkarya Trust’ presented the very first Nataraja Samman in a glittering ceremony. It was a delight to see five legends of Indian classical dance Vyjayanthimala Bali, Birju Maharaj, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Bharati Shivaji and my most favourite dear dancing mother Dr. Sonal Mansingh all together on one stage. As an award they all received '1 lakh each along with a gold medallion and a shawl, which was a token of appreciation for all the hard work they have done for years to take their respective dance forms to a level that is totally unmatched. The prestigious award was conferred by CEO and administrator of Sringeri Sharda Peethanr Mr V.R. Gowrishankar, Captain Gopinath, Vani Ganapathy, Usha Veerendra Kumar of Mathrubhumi and Lalitha Reddy of Namrata Venkatram Reddy Foundation.

The star-studded evening began with a dance tribute to the geniuses with ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu’. The super talented trio that performed this beautiful dance comprised Poorinima Subhashini and Soundraya along with Sathyanarayan Raju. But the event did not end with a performance and an award ceremony; there was much more to it.

The crowd could not control its emotions and hysteria of sorts was caused when the maestros displayed their unparalleled skills.

Kuchipudi legend Yamini Krishnamurthy, who recently also received her long due Padma Vibhushan award from the Government of India, performed a part of her masterpiece ‘Swami Rara Krishna Sabdam’. Mohiniyattom dancer Padmashree Bharati Shivaji cast a spell over the audience through her dance ‘Tallattu Lullaby’. Kathak legend Pandit Birju Maharaj mesmerised one and all by performing some traditional Gats and Parans and also a breathtaking Abhinaya piece. Yesteryear Bollywood diva Padmashree Vyjayanthimala Bali, who is also an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer, captivated the audience with a divine recital of few Shlokas. My Daarling dancing mother (yes I always write ‘Darling’ as ‘Daarling’ because this is from the hit song I choreographed for Priyanka Chopra in the critically acclaimed film 7 Khoon Maaf) Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh was as always her celestial self when she performed a fascinating ‘Dasavatar’, a Jayadeva composition.

A yummy charity dinner, where all dancers and dance lovers could interact with the legends followed, which was especially done to raise funds for paediatric cancer in the memory of late Namrata Venkatram Reddy.

This mega and most memorable evening of bringing the whizzes of Indian dance all together on one stage was the concept and brainchild of Mr Venkatram Reddy and Usha R.K.

Seeing not one or two but all five of India’s artists, who every Indian dancer be it young or old looks up to, sitting together on stage to receive the ‘Nataraja Samman’ is the picture that is the most perfect in the history of Indian dance. Each and every person present there could not take their eyes off the stage, and it looked as if lord Nataraj himself had descended on the dance floor and was honouring the expert artists who have given their love, life and soul to their art for decades now.

Through this article I would like thank the five pillars of Indian classical dance for giving us a photograph that will be set not only in our memories forever but also find a way into our dance temple. I also wish to congratulate the unparalleled dancers for enriching our lives with their talent, dedication and determination and, at the same time, setting a benchmark in the field of dance that is so motivating and hard to reach up to. May God bless them all with a life filled with dance, dance and more dance.

Sandip Soparrkar can be contacted at sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com