Tarang – An evening of music and dance by Aakruti
Aakruti Kathak Kendra (hereafter referred to as “Aakruti”), an educational institution has been founded by renowned Kathak artists Raghav Raj Bhatt and Mangala Bhatt to nurture talent, promote Indian culture and spread the rich traditional classical art of India. The institute has trained over 200 students since its inception.
“Tarang – An evening of music and dance by Aakruti” is being organized to promote the talent of students being trained at the institute. Agenda for the event:
Agenda, October 2nd, 2010
6:45 PM Registration
7:00 PM – 7:05 PM Welcome address
7:05 PM – 7:20 PM Invocation songs by Mrs Deepa
7:20 PM – 7:40 PM Performance by tiny tots (Vakr Thund, Radhe Govind
7:40 PM – 7:50 PM Break
7:50 PM – 8:10 PM Performance by middle level students (Salami, Guru Vandana)
8:10 PM – 8:25 PM Performance by senior students (Ganesh Vandana, Tarana, Ladi, Ghat Nikaas)
8:25 PM – 8:30 PM Closing by Mangala Bhatt, Founder and Director of Aakruti Kathak Kendra
About the founders of Aakruti Kathak Kendra
Aakruti Kathak Kendra was founded by Mangala Bhatt and Raghav Raj Bhatt in 1992, the first of its kind in South India to nurture talent, preserve and spread the rich folk traditions of India.
Born into a family of artists dedicated to preserving and spreading the rich traditions of India, Raghav Raj inherited dance from his illustrious father Dr Gopal Raj Bhatt, a well-known name in folk and tribal arts in India. Raghav was initiated into dance at the tender age of 5 and was soon drawn to Kathak. Raghav received training from the living maestro Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj. He was also a recipient of National Scholarship from the Government of India and the Central Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi. Raghav has traveled and performed widely in India and abroad and has received critical acclaim.
The subtle interplay between form, colourand rhythm is his hallmark and works a lasting influence on a wondering mind. He was also a faculty at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, Singapore.
Petite, doe eyed and exquisitely graceful, Mangala performs with restrained refinement that comes from a total awareness of the space that she inhabits. Entering the artistic precincts of Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, Mangala took training under the Kathak maestro late Pandit Durga Lal from whom she absorbed his brilliant technique and mastered the dazzling cadence and subtle nuances of Kathak.
Mangala dances in tandem with her husband Raghav, bringing to the rasika the very best traditions of Kathak. She is hailed as a dancer with a grip over laya. Raghav Raj and Mangala Bhatt have participated in numerous shows in India and abroad.
