Yudh Three Perspectives, One truth

Yudh Three Perspectives, One truth, Solo Bharathanatyam Dance Theater By Savitha Sastry

on Saturday 9th March 2013 

at Chowdiah Memorial Auditorium, Gayathri Devi Park Extension, 16th Cross St Malleswaram, Bengaluru

7 pm to 8:15 pm

Seating: Free Admission.

Contact: ; 9711996476

Yudh – Three perspectives, One Truth
YUDH is brought to you by the same team that presented Soul Cages – The story of life, death, and Beyond in 2012. Soul Cages is a production that has been hailed as path breaking in connecting the audience with classical dance, with an élan perhaps seen only in slick movie productions. YUDH, the new production, raises the bar higher while following the path of its electrifying predecessor – combining an intelligent story with the grace and emotive faculties of Bharathanatyam, and escalated to an all new level of an epic spectacle by means of audiovisual accompaniments.
Many a time in our life we see perfectly good and innocent people face hardships beyond belief. Innocent children fall victim to cruelty which leaves us wondering if there is any divine justice. In YUDH we focus on such an incident and look at it through three perspectives, those of humans, God, and Satan. Each perspective offers a logical end in itself. We can all go back with answers, all of them valid, but perhaps completely different. YUDH is not a story that ties in with any religion, nor does it refute any. What we have is a stimulating experience which is brought to life with a clarity that perhaps no classical art form can deliver as Bharathanatyam can!
YUDH is an original production. The story and stage play by AK Srikanth were created specifically for this project. The music scored by the famous Chennai based composer Rajkumar Bharathi consists of extremely innovative compositions. The music of YUDH, while strictly based on Indian ragas, would leave the audience in wonder when they find that the sound track has such an international feel to it. Indian classical music can sound Carnatic, Chinese, or Arabic, without a note deviating from the raga as it should be! Rajkumar has used a plethora of instruments to reach this level; the audience would also find the use of Zitar, Oudh, Viola along with traditional instruments.
YUDH is also a visual spectacle. It uses lighting, directed by Victor Paulraj (Chennai) to an effect as though it is a character in this presentation. Victor’s evocative lighting design is perfectly complimented with the designs and colours of Joy Antony’s (Chennai) costumes. The audience comprehension of the story is supported by voice overs – each character has been voiced by eminent theater artists of the South. The power of the backstage team explodes on stage with the sheer choreography and dancing skills of Savitha Sastry. Even though the presentation is a solo performance, at no point does the audience feel the absence of a group. In fact, you may well be excused for thinking that group shows might even detract from delivering the story with an honesty and elegance.
Savitha’s abilities of delivering original story lines with her impeccable artistry and technique have made her a household name in the art world of Bharathanatyam. Her productions have held every viewer captive by helping them clearly understand why Bharathanatyam is the crown jewel of Indian Classical Dance.

About Savitha Sastry
Savitha trained under the tutelage of world renowned gurus Dhananjayans and Adyar K Laxman in Chennai. She is an empaneled artist with the Indian Council for
Cultural Relations. Savitha has performed at highly prominent venues across India, South East Asia, Middle East, Europe, USA, Canada, and Australia.
Performances by Savitha are characterized by a sense of experimentation and a sense of conformity. She has struck a balance between being a raconteur AND being the elegant danseuse of the Bharathanatyam tradition. The combination is rarer than one imagines. And yet, when Savithadances, the audience the world over have seen a wonderful amalgamation of form, physicality, expression, grace, and a refreshing simplicity. In the words of a critic from the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Panel, Savitha moves like a temple sculpture come to life. To her personally, dancing is as natural as breathing. In her own words, “Every time I ascend the stage to perform I am transported to a plane where the performer, the audience, and the dance converge on a mystical realm. On this realm, time stands still and whatever was relevant several thousands of years ago, is as enthralling at the very moment. It becomes the defining experience where the performer and audience not just understand culture but become a part of it.”
Savitha is an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She has performed at highly prominent venues across India, the Middle East, Australia, South East Asia, Europe, and the United States. She was recently featured as a soloist in the prestigious San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival held in the Palace of Fine Arts. She has choreographed and directed several full length productions including ‘Music Within’, ‘Krishna – the Supreme Mystic’, ‘Sacrifice’, and ‘Purushartha’. She is an ‘A’ grade Doordharshan (television) artist and was cast as the lead dancer in a motion picture production titled ‘Ananda Tandavam’ choreographed by her guru – Adyar K. Laxman. Apart from performing as a soloist, she was the principal dancer with the prestigious Soorya productions of Rhythm and Sangamam. Each one of her recent performances the world over has been received with rapturous accolades from both critics and audiences. Even brief vignettes of these performances on YouTube elicit euphoric viewer responses. Savitha’s performance has been featured earlier this year in a BBC Documentary titled ‘Sex, Death, and the Gods’, a film about the history of temple dancers in South India.
Savitha is based out of New Delhi. She creates and choreographs her productions from her atelier at her home. The team behind Sai Shree Arts is based out of New Delhi and Chennai.