Ratna Award Showcase at The Capstone Theatre

Apoorva Jayaraman Bharatanatyam
Angira Kotal Hindustani vocal

In this double-bill performance, Angira Kotal performs a classical Hindustani vocal concert, followed by a Bharatanatyam performance by Apoorva Jayaraman.

Launched for the first time in 2013, the Nritya Ratna and Sangeet Ratna Awards sought to find the best young artists performing Indian music and dance in the UK through an open competition process. The first winners of the awards were Apoorva Jayaraman, who won the Nritya Ratna Award for dance, and Angira Kotal, winner of the Sangeet Ratna award for music.

Angira Kotal

Angira offers audiences a rare treat to hear khayal singing, a form of Hindustani music characterised by a bandish (the literary element of a khayal song) sung with a great deal of creativity and improvisation. Taans are also a unique feature of khayal singing – when different notes are sung rapidly and woven together to expand on a particular melody.

Angira Kotal was introduced into Hindustani vocal music by her mother at a very early age and is now training under Ustad Jainul Abedin. After completing her studies, she is now focusing on her true passion, music. Angira will be accompanied on-stage by tabla maestro Kousic Sen and Rekesh Chauhan on the Harmonium.

Apoorva Jayaraman

Apoorva performs a selection of pieces from the traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire, choreographed by the widely admired dancer Priyadarsini Govind. Many of Apoorva’s pieces have been taken from India’s rich mythological and story-telling traditions. Priyadarsini’s choreography seamlessly blends new choreography and original interpretation with the traditional – lending the pieces a fresh and unique feel. The pieces explore a vast canvas of emotions and themes, while celebrating the distinctive personality of the dance-form itself.

Apoorva Jayaraman has had the privilege of learning under Priyadarsini Govind for over ten years, in addition to specialized training in abhinaya (the art of facial expression) under the legendary Padmabushan Kalanidhi Narayan. Apoorva gave her first solo performance at the age of eight and has since come a long way as a dancer and performer, working under various banners in India, UK and Europe.