National Centre for the Performing Arts to Present CHATHURVIDHA MADHURAM, 13 Feb

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), India's premier arts and culture institution brings a soulful ballet dance performance "Chathurvidha Madhuram" by Lata Surendra & Troupe on Thursday, 13th February 2014 at Godrej Dance Theatre. Celebrate Valentine's eve with a magnificent Bharatanatyam - Mohiniattam ballet performance that will explore the theme of love, focussing on servitude, friendship and blissful oneness.

Chathurvidha Madhuram endorses the four pathways embracing the experience of Bhakti-Rasa often equated with Prema or love. Bhavana the attitude of the devotee to the Lord plays a vital role in savouring the nectar of supreme bliss or Rasamrutham. The ballet makes visuals of various attitudes defining supreme love through Dasyabhavam or servitude wherein love for the supreme person is experienced as the reverence and submission felt by a servant towards his Master epitomized in the role-model of Hanuman. Sakhyam where realization engenders love to go beyond the blemishes of the other and defines friendship through Sudama. Vatsalyam where love for the supreme person has the devotee nourishing, caring and looking after him, evocatively expressed through Yashoda. Madhuryam where love for the supreme person is experienced as Anuraga- feelings of amorous affection between the lover and beloved- in Radha and Krishna, culminates as Maha-bhavana. This is also the peak of madhura bhakti experienced by the Gopis of Vrindavan .

"Lataji has been a benchmark for Bharatanatyam. It is always captivating to see rare compositions being interpreted in a dance form. This will be a perfect fusion of the sensuous and the spiritual to bring forth the epitome of love which exists in all human relationships. The one thing I would urge the audience is to catch the brilliant footwork showcased by Lataji", says Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, Head Programming, Dance, NCPA.

About Lata Surendra : Smt Lata Surendra, is a disciple of the eminent Vidwan Kalaimamani Guru Shri T. S. Kadirvelu Pillai. .A Performer, Teacher & Choreographer of repute, Lata's performances span over four decades and have been met with wide acclaim in India & abroad. Her institute 'Anjali Bharata Natyam Research Trust (Regd), which has completed its Silver Jubilee, has brought to the forefront several talented youngsters in the field of Bharata Natyam who have been recipients of scholarships, awards, recipients of the Singar mani and are graded artists of DD Mumbai, Her student list includes several celebrities including Smt Aishwarya Rai.Bachhan. After teaching in the city proper for over 22 years, she is, for the past 22 years, teaching several under-privileged children in the western suburbs of Mumbai.