Prasanna Kasthuri

Prasanna is a teacher, choreographer, organizer and a performer of two great traditional Indian classical dances - Bharathanatyam and Kathak. His art has a pleasant infusion of the key elements of literature, music, and theatre.

Prasanna was fortunate to receive training from many great legendary teachers of dance field. The main styles which he received training are from Dr. K. Venkatalakshamma and Smt. Lalita Srinivasan of Mysore style and later in Pandanallur style from Guru Narmada. He attended workshops of Chitra Vishweswaran, T. Mahalingam Pillai, Adyar K. Lakshmanan and Pandanallur GopalaKrishna. He received Kathak knowledge from Guru Maya Rao, a very well known authority in Choreography and took Kathak workshops under Birju Maharaj.

Prasanna has performed all around the world and at present is the artistic director of "Soorya Dance Company" in Saint Louis, Missouri. His major credentials include - a rank in Vidwath exam conducted by Karnataka Government, more than a decade of Carnatic music training, a 24 hour non-stop marathon dance feat and a Master's degree in Information Technology.

Prasanna's major dance productions include -

"Kadu Kuniyithu" (1987) -Dance production for children on the story of animals
"Kavya Kinkini" (1989) - A Bharathanatyam repertoire based on poetry from Kannada epics
"Subhadra Parinaya" (1991) - A Sanskrit dance drama from Mahabharatha
"Shrungara Naayakaru" (1994) - A Portrayal of Romantic heroes corresponding to the Nayikas of Indian dance.
"Rasa Gati" (1996) - Adoption of Rasa theory and Carnatic tala structures
"Jnana" (1998) - Mini dance drama based on moral stories
"Avataara" (1999) - Metaphysical interpretation of incarnations
"Cherishnu" (2000) - A dance spectacle of Bengali literature
"Silambu"(2002) - Dance drama based on 2nd century Tamil epic Silappadikaram
"Anubhava Mantapa"(2002) - Dance reflection of 12th century Sharana literature
"Maarga" (2002) - A Bharathanatyam dance repertoi
"Thoughts"(2002) - A thought provoking dance presentation based different works of philosophers of India
 Rainbow - I (2004)  - English poems into Indian Solo dancing
 Katha Kahe Kathaka (2004)  - Presentation of Kathak dances
Rhythms in Motion (2005) – Rhythms across the life
Shaam - e - Kathak (2006) – Dances on Ghazals - love-lorn songs
 Rainbow - II (2006) – English poems into Indian Dancing with a Grammy award winning musician
Call of Flute (2007) – USA’s first Indian opera through classical music and dance of India

Prasanna believes that dance is universal and can include any movement in its vocabulary. Feelings and emotions are the colors which a dancer enjoys painting, with his experience of life to an avid lover of performing arts. Prasanna hails from a family of writers and artists - his father Raghusutha - has published 300 works in Kannada on various subjects, his mother has published 60 social novels, brother - Pulikeshi and sister- Sushma are very good dancers. Prasanna is happily married to Seema, who is a melodious singer, with 10 years of Carnatic Vocal training and has a 3 year old daughter, Samanvita, who is already dancing with her tiny feet.

Prasanna Kasthuri's Previous Performances

 

Hemmige Srinivasa Murthy Venugopal had his initial training under Vid. A V Prakash in Mysore and later under M S Srinivasa Murthy in Bangalore. He has the very rare recognition of a performer as both a solo performer and as an accompanying artist for over 30 years now. As a solo performer, he has performed extensively in many of the major sabhas of the state, country and even abroad.

 

To name a few - The Durbar hall in the Mysore palace in 1991, the Raj Bhavan (in a concert witnessed by her excellency Dr RamaDevi – Ex Governor of Karnataka), Ugadi music festival, Unity concerts for National integration in New Delhi organized by Madras Telugu Academy, concert organized by Dept of Kannada and Culture, Govt of Karnataka and Indian Council for cultural relations for national integration, Ramakrishna Math Colombo, Hyderabad and many other centres, Rama Seva Mandali, Chamarajpet, Bangalore, Indira Nagar Sangeetha Sabha etc.

He has also performed for AIR, Doordarshan and other popular TV channels like Udaya TV, E TV, Kaveri TV etc.

 

And as an accompanying artist, he has accompanied most of the reputed artists in various dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Mohini Attam, Kathakali, Kuchupudi, Yakshagana, Kavyavachana etc.

 

He has composed music for many dance ballets, devotional music albums.

He has also composed and organized music for many dramas including the ‘Mandhra’

(A drama based on the novel by Dr S L Bairappa)

 

He has toured various countries like the USA, New Zealand, Germany, Srilanka, Kuwait

Europe, Australia etc.

He has taken part in the Musica Sacra international, a musical meeting of major world religions in MarktoBerdorf, Germany and in the Rituelen festival in Tongeren, Belgium.

 

He has many awards and titles to his credit, ‘Hamsa Puraskar’ by ‘Hamsa Jyothi’,

the title ‘Sunada Vinoda’ by Sri Shiridi Sai Baba Mandir, Ulsoor, the title ‘Madhuramrutha Murali GaanaPraveena’ by Devi Bhakta Gaana Sabha, Ulsoor to name a few. He has also been felicitated by many organizations like Shantala Academy, Rasika academy etc.

He has released albums like ‘Aamoda’ and ‘Chandana’ which have won the appreciation of many music critics and the hearts of many rasikas.

 

Many newspapers and magazines have praised his various performances.

‘The Hindu’ - ‘ HSV has superb tonality and cadence and he is unusually innovative and creative’

Vijaya Times – ‘Flutist par excellence’

Udayavani, Ananya cultural academy, Ramakrishna Mission, Vijaya Karnataka, Samyukta Karnataka, Saptahika Prabha, ‘The Dominion’ have also praised his music.

 

Venugopal runs a music school called ‘Gokulam School of Music’ in Bangalore and has the credit of having numerous disciples, some of them who are performing artists.