Thillana
Thillana is the last major item performed in the arangetram. It requires exemplary skills in terms of rhythm, timing and synchronization in order to radiate the unique performance charm associated with it.
Thillana combines graceful body movements, statuesque poses, fast footwork, and some elements of abhinaya (acting).
In the middle of this thillana, the guru challenges the dancer by calling out specific rhythms that the dancer is them required to replicate as a final test before graduation.
This dance is particularly challenging as it comes at the end of the program yet it is demanding in terms of footwork, and dramatism.
Brindavani Thillana
Raga: Brindavani
Tala: Adi
Composer: M. Balamuralikrishna
sogasuloora hoyalu kori
nee darini jeritini
neera ksheera nyayamai maimarachi
sakala charAchara mella pulakinchi
teeyani hayanipinchu chiru ravali
nee muralee madhuri nadir ||
Translation:
Oh Krishna, your beauty is intoxicating. I've been yearning for your charming company and came close to you. I'll merge with you completely like water mixes with milk. The Universe consisting of movable and immovable creatures is thrilled with joy by the soft and sweet sound of your divine flute.
M. BalamuraliKrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (1930 – 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1978. He has garnered two National Film Awards (1976, 1987), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1975, the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor in 1991, for his contribution towards arts, the Mahatma Gandhi Silver Medal from UNESCO in 1995, the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2005, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi by Madras Music Academy, and the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani in 1991, by the Fine Arts Society, Chennai to name a few.
Balamuralikrishna's concerts combined sophisticated vocal skills and rhythmic patterns of classical music with the popular demand for entertainment value. Balamuralikrishna presented concerts in many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, countries in the Middle East, and elsewhere. Apart from his native tongue, Telugu, he has also composed in other languages including Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi.