Events
Past Events:

July 28, 2001
Programme: Talking Drums
Performer: Anita Ratnam, Chennai
Venue: P.S.G. Institute of Medical Sciences Auditorium, Coimbatore.
Duration: 75 minutes.
Highlights : The most important short dance pieces were

"Framework" - an all rhythm and melody piece sans music. Dancers had to create their own music by clapping their hands or stamping the ground, rhythmically.

"Episodes" - dance movements set to music in a ten-beat scale.
"Thadai Podathey" - a flowing dance set to a ghazal sung by P.B. Srinivas.
"Gajaanana" - a dance drama version of the Puranic story of Lord Ganesha.
About Anita Ratnam :
 

Anita Ratnam is one of India's most respected classical dancers. She also functions as a choreographer, cultural commentator, actor-producer, writer and publisher. With a strong background in the classical arts of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam & Kathakali, she did her Masters Degree in Theatre & Television at the University of New Orleans.

Having worked as a TV ambassador for India for a decade, she returned to her roots in India, Chennai. She is the Founder-Director of the Arangham Trust.

Anita Ratnam

 

Response:
 
Response

This was the first performance that The G.V. Centre for Performing Arts conducted. The public support was very high, considering this was the Trust's maiden venture. People from Tirupur had come to attend the performance. Anita Ratnam commented that the biggest compliment that she had received on this programme was the presence of the public in large numbers.

 

Press Review:

"Coimbatore had been waiting far too long for a cultural event like this one. It was an auspicious beginning for G.V. Centre, blessed by Lord Ganesha, the God of Good Things." - The Hindu.

"..the organiser, The G.V. Centre for Performing Arts, also had a share of glory for the efficient manner in which it staged the show. Considering that it was the trust's maiden venture, it was quite an achievement… With such commitment, the trust is destined for higher laurels." - The New Indian Express.

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November 3, 2001.
Programme: Navanritya - Aranya Amrita & Parama Prakriti
Performer: Dancers Guild, Kolkota.
Venue: P.S.G. Institute of Medical Sciences Auditorium, Coimbatore.
Duration: 90 minutes.
Highlights :
The performance consisted of two dances, Aranya Amrita and Parama Prakriti.

Aranya Amrita is a dance drama inspired by the legend of Amrita, a Bishnoi woman. The Bishnois were a community of people who lived by a twenty-nine-rule code that called for living in harmony with nature. They lived in a cluster of lush green forests amidst the barren land of Rajasthan. The king of Jodhpur wanted to build a new palace. The woodcutters sent by the king started cutting down the trees. On learning this, Amrita and the other Bishnois embraced the trees to prevent them from being cut. But it was in vain. The king's woodcutters mercilessly chopped down the Bishnois and carried away the wood. The performance ends with a small Bishnoi planting a tree and saying a prayer for the tree.

Parama Prakriti is an abstract depicting the motion and the rhythm of the universe. The theme was conveyed through a sequence of dance units - unique in character, but all contributing to the essence of the cosmic drama. The storyline that was taken up for the portrayal of the theme was the eternal union of Shiva and Shakthi, "the masculine and feminine energies at the time of Creation, Preservation and Destruction".

 
About The Dancers' Guild:


Formed in 1983 by Artistic Director, Dr. Manjusri Chaki-Sircar, Dancers' Guild's primary objective has been to evolve a contemporary dance language
.

About The Dancers' Guild

Since its inception, the performing company has received national and international recognitions for productions exploring social oppression, ecological destruction, images of women, and other themes, both narrative and abstract.

Response:

As in the previous programme, the art lovers of Coimbatore did not disappoint the organisers. The crowd support was overwhelming and the audience encouraged the performers to their fullest extent.

Press Review:

"Keeping their promise of providing quality art performances round-the-year, The G.V. Centre for Performing Arts has come up with it." - The Hindu.

"The trustees of The G.V. Centre for Performing Arts on the trust's formation had said that the trust would be associated with quality in performing arts in Coimbatore - in whatever programmes and performances that it organised… and keeping with its promise, it organised Navanritya" - The New Indian Express.

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March 10, 2002.
Programme: Bharatham - Bhavam, Ragam and Talam.
Performers: Vikku Vinayakaram, Shobana, Selvaganesh
Venue: P.S.G. Institute of Medical Sciences Auditorium, Coimbatore.
Duration: 90 minutes.
Highlights :
A unique evening of rhythm and dance featuring three great artistes and their talented accompanists.

Bharatham began with a composition by Ganesh Kumaresh, rendered wonderfully in Raaga Maalika. A bhajan followed. An exquisite performance solo on 'mridangam' by Ramakrishnan, acted as a precursor of what was to come on later in the evening.

Shobana and her troupe took control of the audience with their performance of 'Astapathi', a story written by Jayadeva. The story was about a 'sakhi' trying to patch up the dispute between Krishna and Radha by explaining about the beauty of nature.

The best part was yet to come. 'Thalatta' was based upon a mother trying to put her child to sleep. The child wants to hear a story. After many story themes, the mother tells the child the story of Rama, from his birth up to his marriage with Sita. The entire performance was a treat to watch. There were many scenes where Shobana excelled with her delightful performances.

It was time for Shobhana to give way for Selva Ganesh.His wizardry with the 'kanjira' was evident when he brought the sounds of a running train,drums and a bass guitar onstage. Following a short break,Vikku Vinayakaram joined the others on the stage. He then showed why he deserved the Grammy,with a display of exquisite dexterity over the instrument with a solo performance. The three maestros combined to give the audience a night to remember with a 'sawal jawab' with the percussions.

About Vikku Vinayakaram :

One of India's finest ghatam (a large clay pot percussion instrument) players, studied with his father, Harihara Sharma. He has accompanied nearly all the leading South Indian musicians and vocalists like Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, MS Subbulakshmi, Balamurali Krishna, Bhimsen Joshi, Hariprasad Chaurasia and VG Jog.

Vikku Vinayakaram

In 1991 Vinayakram became the first South Indian artist to ever receive a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for his participation in Mickey Hart's "Planet Drum" in which he played the ghatam.

About Kumari Shobana :
Shobana

Born into a family of dancers committed to the arts, Shobana is the niece of the legendary classical dancers - Travancore Sisters - Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini. It is only natural that Shobana followed in their footsteps starting her training in Bharatanatyam at a very early age.

As a Bharatanatyam dancer Shobana is known for her fine dedication of this classical art form. She is particularly known for her abhinaya, clarity of line and strong rhythmic command of the idiom.

Shobana who is presently teaching Bharatanatyam in Madras has distinguished herself over the years in the field of films as a noted actress. She won the National Award for best actress of the year 1994.

 

About V.Selva Ganesh : Selva Ganesh

Unlike his father, Vikku Vinayakram, Selvaganesh's chosen instrument is the khanjira - the South Indian version of the tambourine. What more can be said, 'Like father like son'. Hailed as one of the upcoming stars on the indian classical horizon.

About N. Ramakrishnan :

Learnt the art of mridangam playing initially from his uncles, Ghatam Maestros T.H. Vinayakram and T.H. Subashchandran. Ramakrishnan is a very well established mridangam artiste. He has travelled abroad extensively as a solo performer and also as an accompanying artiste.

Response :

The crowd was absolutely enthralled with the programme from the beginning to the end. Selva Ganesh's perfomance on the Kanjira evoked a very participative response from the audience.

Press Review :

"Getting together on a single stage individual performers who were pioneers in their own right was a difficult task, but it was an expression of the dedication to art that brought them together." - The Hindu.

"If you had any doubts about music being divine, then you had to be at the PSGIMS auditorium last Sunday."- The New Indian Express.

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July 27 2002.
Programme: Squabbles
Performers: The Madras Players
Venue: Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery Auditorium
Duration: 120 minutes.
Highlights :
The play, written by Marshall Karp, tells the story of a happy couple, whose in-laws are at odds at all times, and the problems faced by the couple due to this feud between their in-laws.

Jerry and his wife Alice are a happy loving couple. But their respective in-laws (Jerry's mother Mildred and Alice 's father Abe) have never been able to stand each other. The last time they had met each other was at Jerry and Alice's wedding, when Mildred attacked Abe with a cake-knife!

Now Alice is expecting a baby. The time has come to decide who will be moving out of the guest room once the baby arrives. Will it be Mildred or will it be Abe? Meanwhile, when the couple were away at the hospital, the in-laws do behave and go steps ahead of being just civil and fall in love with each other.

By the time the couple are back with the baby, Mildred and Abe have almost decided to move out together.
About Madras Players:

The Madras Players came into existence in the fifties, formed from a group of young people, mostly students, who constituted the British Council Play reading group. They have presented a wide range of plays, comedies and tragedies, classic and modern drama, thrillers and experimental theatre and plays for children.

Response :

Unsure about how Coimbatore audience might receive a stage comedy about in-law confrontation in a U.S setting, the organisers chose a smaller auditorium and kept their fingers crossed. Their fears were short-lived for there was many who turned up to watch, listen, laugh and applaud.

Press Review :

"It was one more feather in the cap for G. V. Centre for Performing Arts, who did the spadework for the show at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery Auditorium." " - The Hindu.

"....the show did attract some crowd. And the play, with all its 'playfulness' was fun watching and worth an evening"- The New Indian Express.

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7th Dec 2002
Programme: Oe-ko-taan
Venue: PSG IMS Auditorium, Peelamedu, Coimbatore
Time : 6.30pm
Line up:  
Bonnie Chakraborty : Vocals and Percussion
Keith Peters : Bass Guitar
Donan Murray : Guitar and backing vocals
K. V. Balakrishnan : Tabla, Dhol, Kanjira, Dondia & Khol
and others
Oikyotaan, a contemporary folk band, aims to involve folk and contemporary music styles, wherein both forms complement each other, while mainlining the essential sound elements and aesthetics of their original style. Oikyotaan experiments by using equally unique components from both forms by attaching them in an interesting set of arrangements.
Oikyotaan comprises a bass, a full percussion ensemble, guitar, and vocals. Two other guest performers in the form of a sarangi, an additional percussion, a violinist and accordion join them in their performances

Oikyotaan aims to interpret varied folk sons with a new ensemble of sounds and textures. The group wants to keep the format untouched, while changing the spectrum of the music and also painting it in a new way.

Aug 2, 2003
Programme: Funny Money
Performer: MTC Productions, Chennai
Venue: PSG IMS Auditorium, Peelamedu, Coimbatore
Duration: 2 Hours
Highlights

Funny Money is a laugh-a-minute comedy about Henry Perkins who by mistake picks up somebody else's briefcase and finds seven hundred and thirty five thousand pounds in used currency notes. In his excitement, he goes to a pub, after several visits to the gent's toilet to count it, puts two and two together that the

 
money is for some illegal transaction, and will never be reported to the police. He returns home and tries to persuade his wife Jean that they should leave the country for Spain before the "nasty" owner of the money tracks them…
On the visit to Coimbatore to stage Ray Cooney's humorous
play 'Funny Money', the play's director Mithran Devasenan spoke to the Hindu on theatre and social service.
He said,"Tamil theatre has died because of lack of patronage. Even corporate sponsorship is not available. In mumbai, corporate entities, including advertising companies, invest money in theatre."

 
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Date: Saturday August 23, 2003
Programme:

“A JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA”
Kuchipudi Dance/Drama

Performers : Ms.VYJAYANTHI KASHI & HER SHAMBHAVI SCHOOL OF DANCE
Venue : NANI PALKHIWALA AUDITORIUM
Duration : Approx. 2 hours.
HIGH LIGHTS :
The programme was not a traditional kuchipudi. It was a contemporary performance with the classical art form of Andhra Pradesh used to convey the mystical themes in ancient Indian texts.
 

The programme began with an invocation to the gods and goddesses. Kashi and her students danced paying obeisance to the verses of Lord Ganesh, Goddes Saraswathi, Guru and other deities. Then they performed a piece saluting to the ten directions.

 

A group of Shambhavi School then took up a Pandit Ravi Shankar composition and staged the contents and essence of yoga and mediation through the mode of dance. A dance number set to Raga Hamsadhwani and Talam Aadi followed this.

 
The highlight was a performance that gave life to the concept of “creation”. The dancers showed how the five elements of nature or panchabhutas constitute earth and how from the joint effort these elements sprout life on earth.
The item that ended on a exciting note with a salutation to Kalam (Time) was a good mix of nritta & natya. The item was then followed by a theme based on Independence and one on Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi.
 
About Ms.VYJAYANTHI KASHI
 
RECIPIENT OF KALA SHREE AWARD - 2002 SANGEETH NATAK ACAMEDY.
OUTSTANDING ARTIST OF DOORDARSHAN.
PRESTIGIOUS INDIAN GOVT. FELLOWSHIP FOR RESEARCH IN KUCHIPUDI.
OUTSTANDING ARTIST OF ICCR.
MEMBER OF KUCHUPUDI TEXT BOOK COMMITTEE.
ARYA BHATTA AWARD.
VOCATIONAL EXCELLENT AWARD.
CONDUCTED WORKSHOPS, LECTURE-CUM-DEMONSTRATIONS.
 
RESPONSE
 
The response for the programme was excellent. The auditorium was almost packed and the audience stayed till end and applauded whole heartedly. Students attendance was also substantial for the programme.
 
PRESS COVERAGE
 
Covered widely by Tamil and English dailies. First page photo coverage by Malai Malar, colour photograph in The Hindu & Dinamalar.
 
“A good mix of nritta and natya “ - The clarity in the text, composition and choreograplhy hinted that the research behind this piece must have been ‘quite a task’. Kashi and her team of researchers deserve a big hand for the work.
 
By The New Indian Express - dated 27.8.2003
 
“Dancing for a noble cause”
 
“The wonderful dance presentation “A Journey through India” by Vyjayanthi Kashi and the students of her Shambavi School of Dance, under the auspices of the G.V.Centre for Performing Arts will remain an unforgettable experience for lovers of fine arts.”
 
“Her portrayal of mantras, which included the Gayathri mantra, clearly brought out their meaning to the discerning spectators. The choreography was very original, and the music highly effective. In the final presentation ‘Jhasnsi Ki Rani’ Vyjayanthi Kashi displayed great force and involvement in her acting. The last words of Rani Laxmi Bai “Bharat Ko Bachao” were ringing in the ears of the spectators. “
 
By The Hindu - dated 5.9.2003
 
 
 
 
 
November 2003
Programme: Jazz Fusion Concert
Date: November 2, Sunday - 7:00 pm
Performers: Amit Heri & Group, Bangalore
Duration: Approx. 2 hours.
Venue: PSG IMS Auditorium, PSG Hospital Campus, Coimbatore
 
HIGH LIGHTS:  The program was excellent with sophisticated sound &light arrangements. The line up included guitar, bass guitar, flute, drums & percussion and vocal.
The program started with "Left Turn" in Kalyani, followed by "Synergy" and then "Where Ah Yah Goin" in Karaharapriya raga. The fourth item was "Fast Train Home" in Jog raga, Peace Song in Hamsadhwani was the next and then Ushas. "Jagado dharana" in Sindhu Bhairavi was very sweet and absolutely rhythmic. The program concluded with "India Funk" in Abhogi
rag.The combination of melodious vocals, great rhythm, sound & light arrangements made the program an event to remember. 
About Amit Heri

One of the few Indian musicians to perform at major
International music festivals. (Berlin Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Paris Jazz Festival, Rome World Music Festival, WOMAD Festival
and many more.)

Performed with various internationally known artists.

Studied on a scholarship at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music, U.S.A.

RESPONSE The response for the program was excellent. The auditorium was full with a very receptive audience, including many who were exposed to jazz for the first time, who applauded for every song and for the excellent percussion & guitar play.
PRESS COVERAGE Covered with photographs in Daily Thanthi, Malai Murasu, Dinaboomi, Makkal Kural and news coverage in The Hindu, Dhina Malar, Malayala Manorama, and Mathrubhoomi, Program was well appreciated by the newspapers.
   
December 2003
Programme: " CHILLS & CHUCKLES "
A 'Menage-a-trois' of three short plays
Date: December 6, Saturday - 7:00 pm
Venue: The Residency, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore
Performers : MASQUERADE, Chennai.
Directed by : Gopi Nair
Lights/ Sound : Music Junction
   
First Half - Chills
"Incident at Twilight" by Friedrich Duerrenmatt -a crime thriller
 
Synopsis : Fear god Hofer, a retired small town accountant has found some interesting facts about the Nobel prize winning drmatist, crime fiction writer & caricaturist Maxmillian Friedrich Korbes... Mr. Hofer also happens to be a ardent fan of Korbes writings. Their meeting turns suddenly int a cat and mouse thriller that will see one of the two outlasting the other in a verbal duel unto death !
 
Cast :
Maxmillian Friedrich Korbes - Shankar Sundaram
Hotel Manager - Parthasarathy PR
Feargod Hofer - Ejji K Umamahesh
Young woman - Rahel
Sebastian - Mukund V
Woman - Meena
 
Second Half - Chuckles
"Arabian Nights" by David Ives
 
Utterly normal Norman walks into utterly ordinary Flora's shop looking for a souvenir of his travels and together they find whirlwind romance, spurred on by a wacky translator. The play is a humorous dig at the art of interpretation as well as an exploration of communication, miscommunication and the magic of language.
 
Cast:
Norman - Mukund V
Flora - Mallika Sen
Interpreter - Krishna Kumar
 
"The Philadelphia" by Davis Ives
 
Synopsis : "The Philadelphia" presents a young man in a restauran who has fallen into a Philadelphia, a twiglight zone like state in which he cannot get anything he asks for. His only way out of the dilemma? To ask for the opposite of what he wants
 
Cast:
Allen Chase - Krupasagar Sridharan
Waitress - Aruna Ganeshram
Marcus - Karthik Srinivasan
 
 
The Sound of Silence
 
   
 
 
The Sound of Silence
 
Madhu Gopinath and Vakkom Sajeev, Directors and Choreographers of Samudra Performing Arts, are leading figures in the field of contemporary Indian dance and music. Madhu and Sajeev are trained in various classical dance and martial arts. They express their creativity through innovative items that go beyond the boundaries of tradition seeking a powerful contemporary yet unique Indian idiom of dance.

They choreographed “THE SOUND OF SILENCE”, a recent work, is an innovative and original dialogue between movement and sound, body and soul and tradition and modernity. The dancers and musicians of Samudra explore through ‘the Mother’, the contradictions and sensuality of life force that governs us all. The various stages of the ‘Life Chakra’ or the Wheel of Life namely, Rebirth, Mother, Sensuality, Universal Rhythm and Power, Earth and its creatures, Trance and Soul are revealed by the dancers and musicians in various sections.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE is well acclaimed in both India and abroad. They have performed in renowned festivals like Uday Shankar Dance Festival, Manipur Dance Festival and Jammu Kashmir Dance Festival organized by the Sangeeth Natak Akademi, New Delhi. They have also performed in the Chaali project organized by the IFA.

At the international level, they have performed at the Royal Opera House, London. The major festivals, which they have participated, include India Festivals in France, Spain and Portugal. The Spoleto Festival in Italy. They have also collaborated with the Fracus Dance Company, France. Recently they have choreographed ad performed in an Indo-French Opera project named ‘The Fakir of Benares’ which was staged in New Delhi and Mumbai.

July 28, 2004
Programme: "NEIL SIMON ACT II"
Performer: MASQUERADE, Chennai.
Venue: PSG Auditorium, Coimbatore.
Duration: 2 hours.
Directed by: Krishna Kumar
Lights/Sound: Music Junction
Highlights : Written by the American playwright Neil Simon, Chapter 2 is a highly robust laf - a - minute comedy with something for everybody. Chapter 2 is the story of 4 characters. George, a writer trying to recover from the death of his wife, Jennifer, recently divorced cute-as-they-come soap actress Leo, brother to George, a theatre artist and a lady 's man, and Faye, friend of Jennifer. Leo and Faye try to set up George with Jennie, While they try to complete affair they had started earlier. The Central character is the telephone which gives rise to mistaken identifies and accidental situations leading to a reverting Neil Simon Comedy with a dash of melodrama promising evening laugh-aches. This is an all time entertainment
 

About Masquerade :Masquerade is a Performance grouped based in Chennai. It was founded by 6 artists from visual, performing and other media with view to provide the audience a wholesome entertainment package. The members of the group have had wide international groups and national experience in theatre and performing arts combining this by working with touring international groups and artistes. Masquerade has over 40 productions and 120 performances to its credit, and has launched many a new talent in Chennai.

 
Press Review : "Chapter 2 Proved to be quite an unmasking experience with a difference thanks to an excellent presentations. What was appealing about the group as the way they kept the spirit of comedy alive and audiences on their toes credit goes to director Krishna Kumar for his thorough analysis of the script.." News today


"The Comedies of Masquerade are full of intelligent gaps and explore our attempts to successfully communicate in our search for Company, Companionship, Friendship, love and understanding." -The Hindu.

September 4, 2004.
Programme: "Rhythmscape”
Performer: Bikram Ghosh & Team, Kolkata.
Venue: Rajasthani Sangh,
Time: 7pm.
Highlights : This unique rhythm driven project showcases the compositional skills of brilliant percussionist, Bikram Ghosh. What makes Rhythmscape unique is that it stretches beyond rhythm in its reach and achieves a melodic soulfulness and character that sets it apart from the superficiality of most efforts in the realm of fusion. "Rhythmscape" has brought a unique dimension to the genre of fusion music. The album "Rhythmscape" is currently on the top of the charts.
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