Product Details

• Actors: Padma Chebrolu
• Directors: David Morrison
• Format: Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Surround Sound
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Cultural Centre of India LLC
• DVD Release Date: December 18, 2003
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000182NNI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,670 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Actor

Feedback and questions related this DVD are welcome. You can contact Padma Chebrolu at [e-mail]

About the Actor

Padma Chebrolu started learning dance at the age of three in India. She attended several gurus and mastered Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam, Mohini Attam and other classical dance styles. Some of Padma’s gurus include; Dr. Uma Rama Rao, Lakshman Rao and K. V. Chalam. Padma Chebrolu created the "Dances of India" series which includes DVDs, CDs, Calendars, and Books. She is also the founder and executive director of World Cultures TV, which creates TV programs and movies to educate global citizens and to celebrate world cultures.

Padma Chebrolu’s background in education includes MBA & M.Ed in Information Technology from US. She also has a degree in Bharata Natyam from India. She works as an IT manager at a major corporation.

Padma is the artistic director of Cultural Centre of India. Along with operating a dance studio, she conducts lectures, demonstrations, workshops and performances at many universities, museums, corporations, and performing art schools. Padma extensively writes articles about dance and dance education. She lives with her husband and two children in Cincinnati, OH

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A decent DVD, October 1, 2004

By 

Stephanie (Zurich, Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dances of India - Bharata Natyam Arangetram Dances (DVD)

First of all, even though I don't find this DVD is specifically "instructional", I must say the quality of the picture and the sound is very good. I disagree with the reviewer who wrote "DVD with such an substandard music and performance" because its standards are pretty good if you live in the States and don't have a chance to attend special performances in South India. I would say that this DVD was made for those students who are learning Bharata Natyam as a hobby rather than as a career.

For those who are not familiar with what "Arangetram" stands for, it is basically a "graduation Margam", or the same as a any other full traditional recital. In this sense, it may be compared with any other Bharata Natyam DVDs like the ones featuring Medha Hari, for example. I hope David Morrison will continue to produce classical Indian dance DVDs, although he should pay more attention to the musicians' dancers' mastery and performance.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good to have one, June 20, 2006

By 

Anita Balakrishnan (New Delhi, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dances of India - Bharata Natyam Arangetram Dances (DVD)

There are not many Bharatnatyam DVDs out there, and, if you have the cash, you should get this one for your collection - it is worth having as an intro into an adapted version of Bharatanatyam.

Although the performer is not in a good form, and although the items are incomplete here, unlike, for example in Sreelatha Suresh DVD or Nrithya Madhuri DVD, still we have to admit that David Morrison's production was superior in image quality.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are a student, this is the right thing to buy!, May 19, 2004

By 

Franca Richi (uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dances of India - Bharata Natyam Arangetram Dances (DVD)

Padma Chebrolu's two DVD's are the ONLY instructional DVDs that are to be found in the whole world. Thanks to David Morrison, they are made by the American standards and with the international students in mind, and are way above any instructional VHS or VCD videos that have been produced.

And because these two DVDs are instructional, and this Arangetram DVD in particular is formatted in a very academic way, there is no point comparing them to other DVDs for 2 reasons.

First, Anita Ratnam's is a just brief (like an encyclopedia article) general introduction to Bharatanatyam, while Medha Hari's is a showcase of a top young dancer whose agility and facial abhinaya is naturally different from the older dancers' (it is unfair to compare a 50-year-old gymnast with a 16-year-old!)

Secondly, Anita Ratnam's, P.Chebrolu's and Medha Hari's styles are all too different to be compared with each other.

This is why by buying P.Chebrolu's videos you never risk coming across anything similar. And, at the Amazon.com price, this is a very good bargain.