Yakshagana ’ballet’ in Udupi March 28

Yakshagana ’ballet’ in Udupi March 28

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Mar 27, 2015 :  The Karnataka Kala Darshini Trust, Bengaluru, in association with the Kota Shivaram Karanth Research and Study Centre, Saligrama, is organising a Yakshagana ballet titled ‘Abhimanyu Vadhe’ at Rajangana here at 6.30 p.m. on March 28.

Speaking to media on march 26, Sudheer Rao Kodavoor, director of the ballet, said the ballet was the brainchild of the Jnanpith awardee late Kota Shivaram Karanth, who had a rich knowledge of Yakshagana. In order to reach non-Kannadigas and foreigners, he reduced the time duration and brought in changes in certain elements of Yakshagana and adapted to the ’Yakshagana ballet’.

In the ballet form, Karanth replaced oration, improved acting and dance, and included violin and saxophone with Yakshagana music to make it more impressive and melodious. Karanth had directed many mythological episodes in Yakshagana ballets such as ‘Abhimanyu Vadhe’, ‘Panchavati’, ‘Nalacharitre’, ‘Kanakangi Kalyana’, ‘Dhurva Charitre’, ‘Bheeshma Vijaya’ and others.

Revival  : After Karanth passed away in 1997, there was no one to propagate the Yakshagana ballet. After a gap of about 15 years, the Karantaka Kala Darshini Trust along with the Kota Shivaram Karanth Research and Study Centre had decided to popularise it again by staging Yakshagana ballets in different places including Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The duration of the episode to be staged here on March 28, Saturday is just over 2 hrs. Vidyavallabha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Kaniyur Mutt would inaugurate the programme. M.L. Samaga, former Chairman of Karnataka Yakshagana Bayalata Academy would deliver a special lecture on the occasion.