Repertoire

Subhaashitam: Parables from India
This unique dance-drama explores universal values such as friendship, honesty, thoughtfulness, respect and unity using stories and verses from ancient Indian literature. The literary sources for this work include Jataka Tales, the Panchatantra and the Thirukkural. These universally appealing stories have been set to music and choreographed by Sri M.V. Narasimhachari and Smt. Vasanthalakshmi. This work, which features a cast of three dancers, is a collaborative effort between Kala Nivedanam and the Global Education Center of Nashville and has been funded in part by a grant from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission. .

Deivika Nrityam: The Dance Divine
This full length thematic program created by Monica Cooley uses a beautiful selection of songs to depict dance as a divine activity. It explores the idea of Dance as a metaphor for God's creative power, as well as a means for created beings to move towards union with God and achieve divine ecstasy. Deivika Nrityam features a cast of six dancers performing choreography by Monica Cooley, Sri M.V. Narasimhachari, and Suchita Sairam.

Megha Sandesha The Cloud Messenger
This two-hour dance drama is based on the poetic work Meghadutam, written in the 4th century by India's greatest Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa. Part love-story and part travelogue, Megha Sandesha tells the tale of a young demigod, banished to earth, who sends a message (sandesha) to his beloved wife in the heavens through a passing rain cloud (megha). As the Megha travels across India to deliver his message, Kalidasa's poetry describes the glorious beauty of his country. Set to music and skillfully transformed into a thoroughly enjoyable, visually beautiful dance drama by Sri Narasimhachari, Megha Sandesha is performed by a cast of 16 dancers including Monica Cooley, M. Satyanarayana Murthy, Suchitra Sairam and senior dancers of Kala Nivedanam.

Leeye Parabrahmani - Absorption in the Absolute
This full length solo thematic program explores the subject of Nava Vidha Bhakti, the nine types of religious devotion, using songs in seven different Indian languages composed by many of India's great saint composers. An extraordinarily beautiful, intense and moving work.

Margam
This program presents the timeless repertoire of Bharatanatyam in its traditional format. Accompanied by verbal explanations, this program is ideal for introducing Bharatanatyam to those unfamiliar with its richness and beauty, as well as for reminding connoisseurs that classic art never loses its freshness or validity.

Lecture-Demonstrations and Custom Presentations
These performances vary in length and subject and are created to suit the needs of particular audiences.