From Classical Indian Literature to Live Performance
Lavanyaa Surendar grew up in a family of artists who performed Indian classical music and dance. She learned how to tell ancient stories and show emotions through those traditions. She now continues the legacy by sharing her knowledge with others.
Interview
View transcript: English Transcript
Three questions…
Lavanyaa says music and dance are inseparable for her. Practicing both makes her a better communicator. How do music and dance fit together in your life?
Lavanyaa’s musical style is called Carnatic music, which is originally from Southern India. It tells ancient stories from Indian mythology. What other songs have you heard that have a long history, or retell important stories?
From a young age, Lavanyaa started learning Indian classical dance and music. She continues to study both. What activities or interests have you held onto for a long time?
Performance
“Bhaja Vishwanatham” – This song is a bhajan; a devotional song with a spiritual theme. A ‘bhajan’’ is usually performed by a group, with one or more lead singers, accompanied by music, and sometimes dancing.
View transcript with lyrics: English Transcript with Lyrics In Sanskrit and English Transcript
Song
“Bhaja Vishwanatham”
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Project Credits
Producer
Ryan Hendricks
Coordinating Producer
Mia Forslund
Videography
Ryan Hendricks
David Boffa
Editing
Ryan Hendricks
Sound
Kerman Eckes
Captioning
Vicki Way Kipp
Web Design
Charles Barrows
Norman Yuson Cuaño
Web Development
John Vieth
Tim Schneider
Graphic and Motion Design
Ian Glodich
Amanda Roslansky
Scott Stetson
Music Education Content
Darin Menk
Laurie Fellenz
Educator Guide
Beatriz E. Aguilar
Edgewood College
Madison, WI
Leila Ramagopal Pertl
Lawrence University and Edison Elementary School
Appleton Area School District
Appleton, WI
Performers
Lavanyaa Surendar
Ravishankar Subramanyan
Sanjana Vasireddy
Avaneesh Muralidharan
Nivedha Nandhagopalan
Joshitha Senthil
Shakti Iyer
Project Partner
Wisconsin School Music Association
Executive Producer
Megan Monday
Chief Curiosity Officer
Alyssa Tsagong
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Special Thanks
Megan Maikowski and the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Funding Provided By
Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation
Focus Fund for Education
Friends of PBS Wisconsin