Pragathi
Karnataka Vaibhava in Indian Classical and Folk styles choreographed by Dr. Seshadri
and Sugama Sangeet by Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni.
Held on August 1, 2004 at the Majestic Theatre, Dallas, Texas.
The pages of Karnataka's history books were brought to life to the jingling of ankle bells on the glossy stage of the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas on August 1, 2004. The program was centered around the charming storytelling of an Indian Auntie to her two young American born protégés who had much to learn about the cultural and historical background of her homeland. As the three put their heads together over a photo album, the stage was transformed into one of the temples of Southern India during the art-loving age of the Hoysalas rule, where an artisan patiently chiseled great slabs of stone into intricately posed statues. Then, as the artist rested, the statues seemed to hear the notes of the great Karnataka musicians and poets and began to dance Bharata Natyam to the melodies.
The program went on to describe through dance and drama, the people and their struggles, the advance of the arts through classes and performances, parades, and palaces of cities like Bangalore and Mysore. The movement of the scenes in Pragati was like turning the pages of a Karnataka history book.
Press Notes
The Dallas Morning News.
Pragathi - Karnataka Vaibava crammed thousands of years of history into one afternoon with a dance drama portraying the history of India's Karnataka state from Iron Age prehistory through a long chain of kings and dynasties through the rule of British, to present-day Karnataka, which has 52 million people and is a high-technology center. The dance blends Indian classical and folk styles under the title that translates as "Progress".