Sharavana Bhava OM

"Sharavana Bhava OM" a thematic presentation on Lord Muruga will feature traditional Bharatanatyam items presented by  Jayamangala ensemble under the direction of Shobha Subramanian.  Highlighting episodes from the life of Kartikeya  (the son of Shiva and Parvathi), this presentation will showcase some signature group choreography woven into the margam. The four-member troupe of dancers will include original musical compositions of Muralidharan (Chennai) and Jayamangala musicians set to innovative choreography by Narendra Kumar (of Chennai) and Shobha Subramanian of Washington DC.

Jayamangala school of Indian Music and Dance is a 501c3 non profit organization in Maryland, which is dedicated to producing and presenting Bharanatyam and Carnatic music in its original as well as creative forms to spread it to a wide range of audiences. Known for their unique style, Jayamangala musicians and dancers have also worked across diverse genres of artists in multi-cultural programs over the past decade. To name a few - "Living Colors", "Music Transcends", "Shree Vinayaka", "Current Chants" are some successful productions that were staged in the DC area and has toured the east coast of USA. Jayamangala receives operating funds grants from the Maryland State Arts Council.

Dancers:
Award winning Director Shobha Subramanian is trained by gurus such as Dhananjayans and Prof. CV Chandrasekhar in Bharatanatyam and Kalamandalam teachers in Mohiniattam. She is also an accomplished singer-choreographer-teacher with two decades of experience. She received the Governor's citation Individual artist Award from Maryland three times (2004, 2001, 1994)
Performing with her in St. Louis for the festival are senior members of Jayamangala
Savitha Subramanian - a PhD student at Johns Hopkins Univ who had her Arangetram in Zambia and is currently a student at Jayamangala
Sudha Radhakrishnan - a Kalakshetra graduate from Chennai who currently teaches, performs and learns at Jayamangala
Mansi Dalal - who teaches dance and continues to study dance at Jayamangala after competing Arangetram in 2002.