Monday, April 5, 2010

Our mentor - Satyanarayana Raju

Hey guys,

I shall from now on regularly update individual profiles who are a part of Arnava. I begin with Satya sir. Our friend and guide through this journey. Arnava would have never been what it is today if not for the guidance and support of this very humble and sweet person. Satya sir is a man of impeccable class and he always amuses us with his amazing sense of perfection in both Dance and aesthetics.


Sathyanarayana Raju is one of the leading male dancers of Bangalore and has carved a niche for himself in the field of classical dance. Endowed with a pleasing personality and impressive stage presence. Sathya has won accolades, both from the press and public alike. He is also an 'A' TOP artist of Doordarshan, India.

Sathyanarayana Raju was initiated to the art of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi by Smt. Subhadra Prabhu. He pursued his training in Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of the renowned guru Smt. Narmada at the Shukuntala Nrityalaya, Bangalore. Devotion, dedication and hard work has molded Sathyanarayana Raju into a fine dancer. He also trained under the able guidance of guru Smt. Padmini Ravi, Guru Smt. Savithri Jagamath Rao (Chennai) & Guru Bhanumathi. His versatility and love for dance also attracted him to Kathak and he trained under the eminent Gurus Smt. Maya Rao and Smt. Chitra Venugopal at the Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreogaphy, Bangalore.
Sathya has the experience of working and winning acclaim in dramas directed by renowned directors like Shri M.S. Sathya and Smt. Jaishree and others. Sathya is the Artistic Director of 'Samskruithi' The Temple of Art which is a cultural organization in Bangalore. He is imparting training to a number of enthusiastic children.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

About . . .






We met under strange circumstances… with the arc lights beaming on our painted faces as we stood in front of the camera, posing to the world as if we were a real family. Time passed by and what seemed to be an ACT turned out to be in a very strange, yet profound way, REAL. We were a group of collective chaos that is waiting for a reason to express, to communicate, to explore and through that to leave behind something meaningful. We realized that it was DANCE that had kept us together and hence to take this special bond to a whole new level ‘ARNAVA’ was born.

ARNAVA means an ocean; deep, mystical and an estuary of many rivers. Each member of Arnava is like a river flowing into the ocean; an ocean of mystic mixes and unfounded depths. The great ARNAVA of art called out to us move beyond the conventional idioms of individualistic expression, and experience the bliss of collective art. Hence, shedding the regular practice of ‘solo performances’, we have come together as a group.

Aarnava is a dance ensemble that seeks to produce a collective art experience through the divine art form of Bharatanatyam, mellifluous Carnatic classical music, the robust rhythm of the mridangam, the soothing melody of the flute and the sublime jingle of the anklet bells…

Each member of ARNAVA comes from a different shade of this divine canvas of Bharatanatyam. Seetha (Vazhuvoor and Mysore school of dance), Dhanyashree (Mysore school of dance) and Sushmitha (Kalakshetra dance tradition) have come together break such distinctions and to explore a new grammar for communicating through dance.

Vid. Satyanaarayana Raju, known for his impeccable class dedication and to  classical dance in its purest form, is now working closely with ARNAVA as their Mentor and Guru. With Guru and dear friend Satya’s guidance, ARNAVA intends to take on a meaningful journey.

Many great artists stand by ARNAVA to support and guide us in through this exhilarating path. We are grateful to Guru R. K. Padmanabha, Vid Satyanarayana Raju, Vid. Shashidhar Kote and many other dignitaries for being the means of support and strength to ARNAVA.

 Together we seek