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Navaratri and the December season in Bengaluru
Where to watch dance during the two busiest months of the year, and how our students take part.
Two seasons fill the calendar of any Bharatanatyam student in Bengaluru. Navaratri in September or October brings nine evenings of music and dance in homes, temples and halls. The December season, which began in Chennai and now has its own rich programme in Bengaluru, brings performances almost every evening till mid-January. Watching is as important for a student as practising.
During Navaratri, many families in Jayanagar, Basavanagudi and Malleswaram set up golu displays and invite children to sing or dance. Our junior students often perform a short piece at a neighbour’s golu, which is a gentle first experience of an audience. Temples and community halls hold evening programmes, often free. Our studio holds an open evening on the Saturday of Navaratri, where every batch performs one item for families.
In December and January, look for programmes by the city’s cultural associations and gayana samajas, and for dance festivals in open-air venues. Weekday evening recitals by young dancers, many of them recent arangetram students, are worth watching; they show what eight or nine years of training looks like.
For students, we suggest watching at least four performances each season and keeping a notebook. Note the items, the ragas and one thing you liked about each dancer. Bring it to class, and we spend a few minutes discussing what everyone saw. For children, choose shorter programmes in the early evening and sit near the front, where they can see the feet and faces clearly.
