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The local favourites Sridhar-Anuradha duo featured on the second and concluding day, it was a sell out. what a change the familiar Kamach “Daru” “Mathe Malayadhwaja”, convincingly adopted for a varma could make. The duo’s artistry to interpret the lyric to suit the male and female characteristics of the mother goddess was so evocative, so wholesome that the rapport was immediate and enduring.
The short pada Anu depicted was as impressive. But the piece de resistance of the evening was undoubtedly Sridhar’s portrayal of the tragic hero of Mahabharata - Dhritarashtra. Though the ‘sthayi’ was a daunting ‘Karuna rasa’ the interpretation drew as much on self pity as the partriarch of the Kuru dynasty experienced disgust at the outrageous treatment meted out to Draupadi by his sons and the inevitable consequence of their endless misdeeds.
The mainstay in Abhinaya is ‘Drishti’. But how evocatively Sridhar could enliven the portrayal with Sheer stance, facial muscles, trite hasthas and torso cadences is what made the portrayal worth going miles to see!
KALASPANDANA - 10th March 2011 - S.N.Chandrasekhar
IN LEAGUE WITH THE ACES
.......
A fine balance of technical expertise and poignant abhinaya, their dance mirrors the best in the art. Truly the first dance couple of Karnataka, what has hitherto been inaccessible to even seasoned teachers of the state is now theirs — the Shridhars have been
selected as faculty for the prestigious Natya Sangraham camp at Tamilnadu in February .
This puts the Shridhars in league with classical dance giants such as Kalanidhi Narayanan - the prima donna of abhinaya, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Chitra Visweswaran, and the Dhananjayans. Anuradha and Shridhar will be sharing space with Leela Samson, director, Kalakshetra Foundation, and veteran dance guru C V Chandrashekar.
( click Here to view Article in DH )
* After watching his dances, I think that he's simply fantastic and probably my favorite of all the male classical dancers in Indian cinema. He has a way of dancing with a grounded center and effortlessly executes his movements joyfully even when sped up for filmy purposes. Graceful and flexible, he dances so beautifully and expressively while maintaining his masculinity. by Minai, USA Click Here to view (film classical dances of sridhar )
MAHAVEERA KARNA
.......
Shridhar and Anuradha, the seasoned Bharatanatyam dancers
from Bangalore are known for their high standards, especially in abhinaya.
Every scene, every look and sigh was in character and performed with attention
to detail.
There were many moving moments in the tapestry-
Karna's gratitude to Dhuryodhana who stands up for him in front of Kripacharya,
his hurt in Draupadi's swayamvara, reaction to Krishna revealing the truth
about his birth and his embittered reaction to Kunti's declaration.
Through
Shridhar's brilliant portrayal one could see Karna's transformation from a
strong, confident youth to an embittered man who has been tossed around by
selfish people. - Roopa Srikanth in Hindu, Chennai.
Shridhar speaks about understanding religion,
philosophy, and the importance of Gandhiji in present times. ......
interview in Samyuktha Karnataka (Kannada).
SPARKLING PRESENTATION (at the Music Academy,
Chennai).
The Sridhar's duo entered with a brisk nrityanjali, well
coordinated and lively.... with clean lines and thrill of fast nritta capped
by perfect freezes were a delight to watch. The couple scored even better
in the abhinaya aspect, as not too many venture far in this art.
SIMULATING DHRITARASHTRA ....
Shridhar presented a memorable solo
"Dhritarashtra Vilapam". He has a penchent for detailed abhinaya that
effectively portrays the traits of a character in full. Shridhar
kept his eyes still, as if gzing at darkness, to simulate the look of the
blind Dhritarashtra. To maintain this expresson throughout the long song,
excerpted from the Mahabharata, and yet to succeed in emoting with the face
was a feat inded. With this self imposed limitation andkeeping the
overarching feeling of grief intensified by regret, he painted various
shades ...... review in The Hindu, Chennai
25th Jan 08
RIVETING PERFORMANCE (Karthik Fine Arts, Chennai)
In a season of over
presentation of Bharatanatyam, it was a challenge for the Bangalore based
couple Shridhar and Anuradha to leave their mark. The two well trained
dancers did manage to do so with a memorable performance at the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan. The duo displayed good coordination and chiselled adavus,
as well as a grasp of the kind of themes likely to hold audience attention.
- The Hindu, Chennai.
BRILLIANT BALLET ........
sensational, gripping performance by the talented
pair ........ spontaneous gesture of goodwill and heartfelt warmth by
Dhananjayan, C V Chandrashekhar and
Kalanidhi Narayanan to the brilliant performance staged by
the couple and their five year old daughter ......
review on Kumarasambhavam
in Sunday Express, Chennai.
THE ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE .
had the audience glued to their seats
and in the end, had stalwarts of the dance scene, V P Dhananjayan, C V
Chandrashekhar and Kalanidhi Narayanan rushing to the stage to offer
their congratulations ...... review in The
Hindu, Chennai.
SPECIAL APPEAL .
vibrancy and deep involvement equipped
with technical skills, full of innovative ideas
........ review in Deccan
Herald, Bangalore.
A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE .
couple looked like sculptures come alive, so perfect
......
review on Mahabharatam in Deccan Herald, Bangalore.
Enthralling performance ........
breathtaking tandava...... graceful depiction........review
in The Hindu, Kochi.
LOST IN THE WORLD OF DANCE
........ its difficult to recreate in words the
performance of dancing couple as they disrobed masks of
several characters in a flash of a second or a twirl of the
famous epic poem .........
review in The Indian Express, Kochi.
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NEW DEFINITION FOR CLASSICAL DANCE ......
The purpose of art is to
bring oneself closer to divinity by channeling the
energy resources inherent in all human beings... And the
artists who are supposed to guide the audience prefer to
concentrate on their performance for the day. But not
the dancer duo of Shridhar and Anuradha.
They took the basic language of the dance form closer to
the ancient theatre. Thus, they could complete dialogues
using their body, all the while making sure that the
audience never missed the point. At the same time,
as the dancers would add with conviction, they never
trivialise the art by compromising on its form. They had
a separate way of walking and posing for different
characters, never leaving the audience confused about
which character they were enacting..... Shridhar and
Anuradha were clear in explaining to these beginners
that dance is not just costumes and gestures. It is also
subtle nuances of acting. - Anand Haridas, The
Hindu, Cochi.
A FIRM GRIP ON NRITHYA ..........
The impressive
performance stood testimony to sage Bharata's view of
"enlightenment through entertainment",
review in
The Times of India.
REFINED EXPRESSION .....
This programme can
easily be rated as one of the finest of the season.
Skill and soul both combined to create a memorable
experience. It was a well-balanced presentation in terms
of nritta and the abhinaya content. The abhinaya was not
just play-acting; it genuinely reflected the mood of the
moment. More important, there was dignity and refinement
in every aspect.
An unusual delineation was that of Shabari...... The
expression on her face when she spots Rama and her
tender and reverent hospitality towards him denoted an
involvement that surpassed mere performance. Shridhar as
Shabari tends to Rama, and finally dies at his feet.
This whole episode added a spiritual dimension that was
inspiring. Shridhar as Manthara with the hunched back
looked suitably evil, but it was his portrayal of
Dasaratha that stood out. No wonder there was a
deafening applause at the end of the programme. Anuradha
and Shridhar certainly deserved it. - Rupa
Srikanth, The Hindu. brazilian virgin hair
Shridhar's Bharatanatya recital was a significant one
from many points of view. The colour and tradition of
the Kalakshetra was conspicuous by its presence
throughout the recital. Right from the theme to the
style and system of its execution, everything had the
authentic Kalakshetra imprint......Shridhar in ekaharya
and ekapaatrabhinaya transformed into different roles
with quicksilver changes in rasas and bhaavas. -
M. Surya Prasad, 'NARTAKA'
LIVELY AND COMPACT NARRATION ......
Shridhar and
Anuradha participated in every sequence with zeal and
bubbling energy. Each scene was well-planned and brought
forth with propriety, gesticulation and clarity in
communication. Shridhar displayed fine dramatic skill as
Dussasana. An equally strong impact was created by his
moving depiction of Abhimanyu.
These portions were portrayed by Shridhar with deep
emotional fervour, revealing the enormous involvement
that he had focused on this task. Anuradha danced with
matching skill and shared every moment of this
praiseworthy artistic endeavor; inclusion of a few
theermanams at certain points embellished the
presentation appropriately...... a fine sample of
thematic ballet, based on dedicated, serious and
successful artistic venture. - Nandini
Ramani, The Hindu, Chennai.
PERFORMANCE MARKED BY PERFECTION......
The
jathis, including the one in tisra nade, were negotiated
with perfect aremandi as well as footwork. The
restrained abhinaya and stylised movements in the
varnam, the involvement displayed by Shridhar devaranama
and the concluding tillana with intricate korvais,
executed to perfection, made the performance enjoyable.
-
Lochana, The Times of India.
POETRY IN DANCE
....................-
review in The Hindu
INSIGHTFUL DANCE PERFORMANCE........
Mahabharata
is a masterpiece among their productions. The main
features of Bharatanatyam (the purity in nrutta, nrutya
and natya) were highlighted with the right balance of
navarasas. The couple demonstrated absolute precision in
rhythm and the choreography was commendable. -
review in The Hindu
RAMAYANA
.......
The most striking feature of the
entire presentation was the faultless
nritta-nritya-abhinaya content that portrayed powerfully
the numerous characters of the epic in keeping with
their inborn nature. The point is, the couple handled
all the characters between themselves admirably.
When Ravana very nearly succeeded in lifting and
stringing the gigantic Siva-dhanus, the play of emotions
on the face of Sita (Anuradha) had its own tale to tell!
Oh, what relief and joy flitted across her face when
Ravana, the demon, got crushed under the weight of the
huge bow till Sri Rama lifted it casually to relieve the
Lankan chief of his self-inflicted misery.
Again, the Sabari episode had its own classic message to
impress on the audience. The presentation in moving kapi
was truly classic....... Shridhar portrayed the vengeful
Manthara with all negative emotions - hatred, revenge,
jealousy - given full play through bhava and abhinaya.
Anuradha as Kaikeyi matched Shridhar's Dasaratha most
absorbingly. The fast-paced jathi sequences blended
appropriately with admirable precision. So much so the
well-known tale appeared to be totally new. The
sancharis spoke of a dedicated mature experience. For
the audience, it was an affair to remember and cherish.
- R. Srinivasan, Sunday Express. brazilian hair bundles
The Classic epic, in the classical language, presented
in the classical idiom with a tight grip over nritya,
perfect synchronisation and involvement in abhinaya,
made the presentation a memorable one. -
The Times of India.
A SHOWCASE OF YOUNG MALE TALENT
....... Shridhar,
through his portrayal of Bharatha, not only proved his
histrionic ability but also his grip over rhythm and
Anga Suddham. The Ekapatra presentation, without
depicting either Kaikeyi or Rama (by letting the music
speak fro them), was novel in conception...... Shridhar
excelled in three of the four Abhinayas, and with his
dedication, held promise of entering the realms of
Satvika Abhinaya. -
The Times of India.
The dancing couple gave an entertaining recital, which
had few unusual items also. The opening composition
itself was a vachana of Basavanna! Nela Vonde -
attracted with its beautiful meaning. With attractive
abhinaya, fine choreography, it was aesthetically
appealing. With well-knit swara and good footwork, the
feature was convincing. -
Deccan Herald.
They highlighted their thrilling control over the
grammar of Bharatanatyam and a polished understanding of
how to stretch a composition to its outer limits, to
reveal the source of energy in the body and to make it
flower visibly....... the two looked and danced
beautifully. - M. Surya Prasad, The Hindu.
It was indeed a great pleasure to witness your
performance at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi on
20th and 21st February, 1999. Your mastery of and
devotion to the Bharatanatyam art of dance helped you
both to present truly marvelous dance-drama performances
relating to our epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. -
Shri. R. K. Bhatia, High Commissioner for India,
Nairobi.
LIVELY AND ARTISTIC ......
Award-winning film
actor Shridhar and his wife Anuradha have, without
doubt, carved a niche for themselves in the field of
classical dance. - The Hindu.
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