DesiShades Local Coverage

May 12th declared as India Day by Colorado Governer John Hickenlooper
Colorado Governer John Hickenlooper proclaimed May 12th as India Day. Here is the text, and attachment. .

Colorado's scientist Dr.MS Reddy nominated to the Nobel prize

The Telugu Entrepreneurs Association (TEA) congratulates Dr. MS Reddy for being a nominee to 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. The Telugu Entrepreneurs Association (TEA) had an immense pleasure of honoring Dr. Reddy as a chief guest in 2011 to give lecture and motivate Telugu community on how to foster entrepreneurship among Telugu's in greater Dallas area and around the globe. We are very proud that he lives in Colorado, whom we call as Cheese Reddy with a greater love and effection.

Dr. Reddy is the author of several books like Keys to Winning, A to Z of Success, etc,. It is a proud movement for all members of Telugu Entrepreneurs Association (TEA) and all Indian professionals and Indian citizens living abroad and in India to know that Dr. M.S. Reddy (Dr. Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy) has been nominated in excellent standing for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.

The other outstanding nominees for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize from U.S. include former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft Chairman and the world's richest man Bill Gates etc.

To be nominated, for the Nobel Peace Prize, the candidate must be outstanding, exceptional, well established, and well recognized all over the world and must have contributed throughout his life, significantly, to improve the quality of life of the people worldwide, peace in the world through reduction of conflicts among nations, reduction of hunger through improved food production etc.,.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. M.S. Reddy, a billionaire scientist, who has contributed immensely to the world economy by over one trillion dollars through his scientific inventions, which had a significant impact to reduce the hunger, diseases, pollution, global warming, and human suffering in the world and thus to improve peace.

A brief biography of Dr. M.S. Reddy:
Dr. Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy (M.S. Reddy), son of Jala Reddy and Sankaramma of Uppalapadu, Kovur (Taluk), Nellore (Dist), A.P. (India), received his B.V.Sc. degree (D.V.M.) from A.P. Agricultural University, Tirupati, A.P., India, M.S. and PhD. degrees from Iowa State University, U.S.A in food technology and microbiology with honors and distinctions.

He serves as Chairman and President of U.S.A. based American Dairy and Food Consulting Laboratories (ADFAC Labs) and International Media and Cultures (IMAC, Inc.), Denver Colorado, with eleven manufacturing facilities in eight states.

He has received over 100 national and international awards and honors from all over the world. The notable awards: Richard M. Hoyt memorial award from American Dairy Science Association; Outstanding Young Alumnus Recognition award from Iowa State University; Sigma-Xi Research award, Outstanding Scientist award from Washington, D.C. the presentation was made by the Prime Minister of India P.V. Narasimha Rao, Ronald Regan Gold Medal award from U.S. Vice President Honorable Dick Cheney at Washington D.C.

Recipient of prestigious 2006 Bharath Gaurav Award, Hind Rattan Award; invited as a guest of honor to attend the 2005 inauguration of U.S. President George W. Bush and recipient of the first '2009' Veda Brahma award' and 2010 'International Dharam award' from the AAPNA (Association of Ayurvedic Professional of North America) for his worldwide patent on integration of Probiotics and Ayurveda as a treatment modality in the field of complementary alternative medicine.

Dr. Reddy holds over 150 U.S. and international patents and has published over 70 scientific articles on dairy starter cultures, Probiotics, pharmaceuticals, and complementary alternative medicine and has written several books including 'A to Z of Success' and Compendium of Microbiological Methods (published by the American Public Health Association).

He has served as a technical consultant to over 70 national and international companies all over the world.

IANC past president Dr.Rajashekar Gaddam passed away
26th April 2012 Fort Collins, CO:
In a shocking development, Dr.Rajashekar Gaddam has passed away on 26th April 2012 at 9:40am. He was the President of Indian Association of Northern Colorado during 2011. He has been suffering from Cancer for the past few months, and finally rested in peace at Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. He is survived by his wife Sangeeta Rao and two daughters aged 11 and 2yrs.

He is a Veterinarian (Small Animal Exclusive) by Profession. He described himself in face book that he "Loves to do Surgeries, Soft tissue and Orthopedics, Beautiful Wife and 2 Adorable daughters, Loves to spend time with Wife and kids". He hailed from Jagtial, Karimnagar, graduated from College of Veterinary Sciences, Hyderabad, did masters at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and started working at Planned Pethood Plus, Veterinary Hospital in Denver in 2008. His favorite quotation is "Live 'n' Let others Live". He is a soft spoken individual and an active community member in Fort Collins. He organized many community Pet camps to raise funds for non-profit initiatives.

His body is set for viewing at Fort Collins today (4/28) between 3-5pm, and further will be sent to India.

13th Annual Indian Dance Festival - By Kerala Association of Colorado
Kerala Association of Colorado proudly celebrates 13th Annual Indian Dance Festival on April 28th Saturday 4.30 PM at Hinkley High school, 1250 Chambers Road, Aurora CO 80011.

This event showcases various Indian classical dances, contemporary dances, folk dances and Bollywood dances. The assortment of dancers in the exceptionally well organized dance festival reveals the essence of dance intelligence. All these dances provide not only entertainment, but also reflect a deeper cultural awareness and diversity.

This year, organizers have assembled a great line up of artists and unique varieties of dance forms to match with the theme of Indian Dance Festival, "A Cultural Tour of India".

In addition to the professional and amateur artists of the Great State of Colorado representing various dance schools and dance groups, KAOC is also proud to present 2012 Sangeeta Nataka Academy Winner Ms.Sunanda Nair to perform a Kathakali and Mohiniyattom at this event. Considered to be one of the top 5 artists in the field of Mohiniyattam, the presence of Ms.Sunanda Nair promises an added attraction to dance enthusiasts this year.

KAOC invites you all with your family to come and be part of this cultural tour through various states of India starting from Kerala. Come enjoy this event and encourage the performers while you receive great insight into the rich traditions of India.

The event will start sharp at 4.30 PM MST. Indian Food, Indian Outfits, and Ornaments are available for purchase at the venue. Please visit www.colorkerala.org and our facebook page/group "Kerala Association of Colorado"

7-8th April 2012
2-days of music and dance feast at Rocky Mountain Thygaraja Utsavam
The Rocky Mountain Thyagaraja Utsavam, which celebrates the compositions of the great Tyagaraja, happened on April 7th and 8th at South Middle School in Aurora. Sponsored by CFAA (Colorado Fine Arts Association), the program featured many different arts, such as singing, dancing, and instrumental adaptations of Tyagaraja's musical compositions. The day started off with some of Colorado's most talented music teachers and singers singing Thyagaraja's most famous Pancharatna Krithis. Later on, many people engaged in the Junior and Senior Vocal, Bharatanatyam, and Violin competitions, ending the day with percussion solos and individual performances. The second day started off with more Junior Vocal competitions, as well as Senior Vocal followed by Junior and Senior Kuchipudi competitions. These enticing competitions were succeeded by non-competitive solo/group dances, and then, individual and group vocal and instrumental performances. We called it a day after finishing off with the Anjaneya Utsavam and Mangalam. Hundreds of classical music and dance lovers across Colorado have participated and attended the festival, and enjoyed the soulful music and visual feasts. In conclusion, both days of the Rocky Mountain Tyagaraja Utsavam were a success. Results of the competitions will be posted soon on the CFAA website.

2st April 2012
STARTALK: Jai Ho Hindi-Urdu Student Language Program at CU Boulder
The South, Southeast and West Asia Outreach Program (SSEWA) is conducting its first STARTALK program for Hindi and Urdu languages from June 4 to July 6, 2012. The first three-weeks of the program will be held on campus at the University of Colorado Boulder and the second two-weeks will be held online. This is an intensive language program for students entering grades 9 through 12. Prior knowledge of Hindi or Urdu languages is not required. Find attached a flyer and application with an overview of the program. Please feel free to share this information with your students. All major expenses will be covered including meals and travel expenses. Application deadline is April 27; however, admission decisions will be made on a rolling basis, so we encourage students to apply early! Program information and application forms are also available online at http://cas.colorado.edu/index.php/ssewa/startalk. For more information please contact Kunga Lama at 303-735-5224 or Kunga.Lama@colorado.edu.

1st April 2012
HSS Colorado celebrates Varsha Pratipada with State Rep Hon'ble Dr. Janak Joshi

Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh South Colorado chapter celebrated the Varsha Pratipada (Ugadi/New Year) on 1st April 2012 as Sports Day at Jewell Elementary School in Aurora. Several HSS Volunteers along with their families have participated this event who reminded of their childhood days while playing the traditional Indian sports such as Kho-Kho, Kabaddi etc. There were few cultural items presented by the kids and adults, which received a great applause.

Colorado House District 16 Representative Dr. Janak Joshi was the chief guest on this event. During his address to the gathering, he explained how he contributes to the health care policy and small businesses. He urged everyone to understand the functionality of the government, become responsible citizens, and welcomed kids to visit the Colorado State Capitol to see how the house functions.

HSS officials Prof. Ved Nanda, Mr.Sridhar Talanki, Mr.Krishnamurhty Woonnimani, Mr.Madhu Bhat along with Mr.Sudhir Verma were also present at this event. This event was coordinated by HSS Highlandsranch Shakha Karyakarthas including Srinivas Deme, Manjunath Narneki, Dr Vaman Shenoy, Srinivas Maddali, Aravindan Gurumurthy, shardul Takalkar, Srikanth Srinivasan, Venkat Rao Mallem, Lakshmi Talanki and Mounika Deme.

30th March 2012
12-year old Pranit Nanda from Aurora wins Colorado Geography Bee

12-year-old Pranit Nanda is the 2012 Colorado Geographic Bee champion, a title earned due to his specialized knowledge of the world's natural landmarks. The 6th grader from Aurora Quest K-8 school won the annual competition at the University of Denver after a second place finish in 2011.

Nanda received $100 cash and a $7,500 scholarship to DU. He will also get to go to Washington, D.C. as Colorado's representative in the National Finals, which is held at the National Geographic Headquarters May 22-24. In order to seal the win on this year's Colorado competition, Nanda had to successfully answer this question: What body of water connects the Gulf of Oman with the Persian Gulf?

The answer - The Strait of Hormuz - is something that would likely stump many U.S adults.

24th March 2012
Art of Living moved to a new location
The Art of Living Foundation in Denver moved to a new location on 1420 S. Holly Street, Denver, Colorado 80222. The opening on March 24 was attended by over 100 people and they enjoyed learning about the power of the breath in handling stress. Then they were led through a guided meditation and kirtan followed by delicious vegetarian food.

Inspired by the teachings of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living Foundation offer workshops based to handle stress, manage the mind and live fully in the present moment. The next Art of Living Course will be held from April 27-29. For more information about the course and other free public events you can contact http://secure.artofliving.org and or 720-722- AOLF (2653).

14th February 2012
33-year old man from Lakewood died of heart attack
It was a fatal heart attack that caused death to a 33-year old man from Indian origin in Lakewood, CO last week. Mr. Venkatesh Jayaraman was an employee of HP who works in Lakewood. He was survived by his wife and a 2-year old daughter. Sewa USA volunteers have helped the family getting the necessary paperwork from the Indian consulate to move the body to Chennai, India. The priests from Hindu Temple of Colorado along with the other community members met the family and expressed their deep condolences.

18th January 2012
Colorado State Governer's proclamation for January 14-29, 2012 as Health for Humanity Yogathon Weeks
It has been a remarkable day for HSS in Colorado. On 18th January 2012, the Governer of the State of Colorado announced the proclaimed that January 14 - 29, 2012 as HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON WEEKS. In the proclamation notice, the yoga was recognized as an ancient process of keeping the human body and mind in good health; and the Surya Namaskar, also called Sun Salutation is a special sequence of yoga postures that provides the key health benefits of yoga in a very succinct package. The spiritual training has been considered a part of physical training since ancient times in India; Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), USA is a voluntary, non-profit, social and cultural organization, which aims at preserving and passing on the ancient Hindu Heritage and cultural values to the next generation of Hindus and raise awareness around the world.

HSS is hosting its 6th annual HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON to create awareness of yoga and its advantages in achieving healthy body, mind and spirit during January 14-29, with the concluding grand finale session with a mass marathon on 29th January at Louisville Middle School. HSS encourages everyone to join this ceremony during 9am-1pm. Pl check the copy of the proclamation here.

8th January 2012
Sewa Colorado's distribution of bikes and buspasses to high school kids
On 8th January, Sewa Colorado team distributed bicycles and bus passes to 31 Bhutanese children. The event went very well and a few prominent community leaders participated in the event as guests. The Bhutanese children will now ride the bicycles to the school instead of walking or riding a bus. These children currently walk 6 miles or more every day to attend school as their families have no car and cannot afford to buy bus passes. Earlier Sewa gave one bike to a girl and bus passes to 5 children. These bikes are all new and purchased through money raised from volunteers and the community. Sewa also provided bus coupons to all of these students to cover harsh winter days when it is very difficult to ride bicycles to school. The Bhutanese priest performed puja to the bikes while chanting and offering flower petals on the bikes. Several community leaders and Sewa Colorado volunteers including Krishna Vaidyanathan, Narender Kumar, Bipin Agarwal, Sridhar Talanki, Balaji Ramanathan, Madhu Bhat, Vidyasagar Tontalapur, Raj Chiluka, Dinesh Shenoy, Srini Kairamkonda have attended this event.

Sewa International is a 501(c)(3) Hindu faith-based nonprofit charity. Sewa International in the USA has 38 chapters in 20 metros and 22 states. The Colorado chapter of Sewa has undertaken the Bhutanese Refugees Empowerment project that offers financial help, supplies essential material, employment assistance, mobility help and other help in transitioning to a new environment while preserving their culture. Sewa International is helping the Bhutanese community in more than 20 metro areas in America after the first wave of immigrants started arriving in 2008. Sewa volunteers have conducted SAT coaching classes, women empowerment programs, Yoga and meditation classes and many other programs to help build a confident Bhutanese community. For more details about Sewa USA, visit http://www.sewausa.org

3rd December 2011
Tamil Association of Colorado's Deepavali Celebrations
Tamil Association of Colorado has celebrated Deepavali with a colorful cultural program at Vista Peak High School, Aurora, CO on Saturday 3rd December 2011. The ugly roads and the snowy weather could not stop any crowd to be present at the event to have the utmost joyful event. The program started with a prayer song by Anirudh Prakash, followed by the welcome address by the president Manikandan Sankaran. Meera Ganeshan orchestrated Paarampariyam and classical dance item Vasantha Jatiswaram choreographed by Puja Allepalli has received great applause. Manmadhan Ambu a hilarious comedy directed by Rajasekhar is thoroughly enjoyed by the audiences. The kids dances Vaannavil by Arichuvadi groups choreographed Kala and Ezhil, Sinthanai Sei Manamae choreographed by Hemamalini and Kalaivani, Classic Twist choreographed Sonu & Prathyusha and What's my name choreographed by Vismaya Bachu are successful to bring up kids talents and cute to see their rhythmic steps. Other dances by Denver Dragon Girls, Vaanavillum Naan Athil Vannagalaum Naan by Muruganantham sister are great. The comedy galatta by Aravind and Senthilkumar have recalled the different dance steps by the Tamil superstars. Laya Dance Academy's dance by adults was very vibrant on the stage, with a mixture of classical and modern dancers. The program was sponsored by Oracle and American Family Insurance agent Ram Vaidyanathan. After the program, there was a sumptuous dinner catered by India's Harvest restaurant.

5th November 2011
Crowd enjoyed the Diwali party at India's Restaurant



There was a good crowd at the Diwali party organized by India's Restaurant on Saturday 5th November. Several people dressed in the traditional and partywer joined the party, that started at 8:30pm. In addition to the tasty bite sized appetizers, drinks and the full course dinner has been the main attraction at the party, apart from the live DJ music. People have been seen on the dance floor all thru the evening.

30th October 2011
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (CO/WY Chapter) Fall Meeting & Golf tournament

The AAPI fall 2011 meeting started off with Golf tournament at the Emerald Golf course at the Windsor gardens, Denver. The Golf tournament was lead by Dr Sohan Bhatia and Mrs. Anjali Bhatia. A few of our members namely Dr &Mrs. Vedanthan, Dr Suman Morarka and Dr Apurva Patel participated on this sunny afternoon and won a few laurels too.

The dinner meeting was held at the India’s restaurant on Hampden Avenue. We had a good attendance of the local physicians, medical students, residents, medical personnel, and some of the spouses. The highlights of the meeting were 1.Recognition of the Basic science investigators: Dr Preveen Ramamoorthy, National Jewish Health for his pioneering work on Genomics in clinical medicine; Dr Subbiaha Pugazhenthi PhD for his work on Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer’s; Dr Ravi Mahalingam for his research on Chicken pox (Varicella) virus.

Dr Preveen Ramamoorthy PhD was the main invited speaker and his talk on ‘Personalized medicine’ was very informative and well received by the audience. The Golf tournament and the dinner meeting at the India’s was fully sponsored by Mr. & mars Scott and Janette Henington of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Services, Centennial, CO.

17th September 2011
Hindustani Vocal Concert by Mr.Nachiketa - Organized by CFAA

Colorado Fine Arts Association (CFAA) created history by organizing a Hindustani Vocal Concert by Shri Nachiketa Yakkundi accompanied by Smt. Priya Hariharan on the Violin and Shri Nabin Shreshtha on the Tabla on Sept. 17th, 2011 at Broomfield Auditorium.

CFAA Board member Gayathri Krishnamurthy welcomed the audience and introduced the artists. Nachiketa, based in Cupertino, California is an ace Hindustani Vocalist. Hailing from Dharwad, Karnataka, Nachiketa Yakkundi was initiated into Hindustani classical vocal music by his parents. His formal study began in Madras under Shri B. N. Simha and later under Shri B. Hanumantachar. His rigorous and extended pedagogy came under the virtuoso late Padmabhushan Pandit Basavraj Rajguru.

Shri Nachiketa began the evening by singing three compositions in Raag Shree which is a different from Raag Shree of Carnatic Music. Raag Shree in Hindustani Music comes from Purvi Thaat. It is sung in the evening time and has a "Gambhir" mood to it. The first compositon "Chain Ganvaye" was composed by Late Pt. C R Vyas set in Vilambit(slow) Ektaal followed by a bandish "Saanjh Bhayi re" composed by Pt. Ratnakant Ramnathkar set in Dhrut(fast) Ektaal. The third composition was a vandana to Lord Hanuman. He continued the program with Raag Kesari Kalyan, which is a Mishra(mix) of Raag Hamshadwani and Raag Shudhdha Kalyan. This Raag itself is a creation in honor of Lord Hanuman himself. The composer Late Pt. Ramashreya Jha created a Jod bandish which is a set of two bandishes consisting of thematic flow of the beauty of Lord Hanuman.

Next was "Sarasa Sugandha Aali" in Raag Gagan-Vihang which is again a Mishra(mix) of Raag Pat-Bihag, Bihag, Shankara, Nand and its own characteristics. This Raag was created by Late Pt. Dinkar Kaikini. A Tarana in Raag Shyam Kalyan, a traditional Raaga, composed by Pt. Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale set to Rupak Taal followed by a Marathi Abhang in Raag Malkauns popularized by Late Pt. Bhimsen Joshi was icing on the cake. He completely mesmerized the audience by singing a Vachana in Kannada written by Basavanna and put to tune by Basavraj Rajguru in Raag Bhatiyar which is a morning raga. Vachanas were primarily composed by Vachanakaras in the 12th Century. Vachana literally means "that which is said". These are readily intelligible prose texts. All Vachanas are tribute to Lord Shiva. Finally, he ended the concert with a Surdas Bhajan composed by Late Pt. Kumar Gandharva in Raag Bhairavi. Priya and Nabin were great at Violin and Tabla respectively and kept up with all the intricacies.

Right after the concert Smt Madhura Gokhale interviewed Nachiketa which provided the audience with a unique insight into the mind of the artist. Ajay Menon thanked the performers, introduced the CFAA board of directors and unveiled the next programs of CFAA to conclude the festivities for the evening. CFAA's tokens of appreciation were handed over to the artists by eminent members of our audience - Shri Joginder Singh Viruthi, Mr Kedar Bhide and Dr Arti Saproo. Krish Hariharan, Vice President of CFAA talked about the upcoming Rhapsody 2011 program. The quality of the concert and the organization from the CFAA team stood out during the whole time.

4th July 2011
Colorado rocks in DHIM-TANA singing and dance contests




In an initiative by Telugu Association of North America, with TV-9, Telugu leading 24-hr TV news channel, DHIM-TANA, Colorado kids proved its position with several winners in various categories. In the Folk/Film dance Solo 14-19 age group, Medha Gudavalli won the first prize, and won 2nd prize in Classical Dance Solo 14-19 age group. Lasya Gaddipati has won 2nd and 3rd place in Classical Dance Solo - under 7 and Classical Singing Solo - under 7 categories respectively. Apoorva Gundu of Westminster, CO has won 3rd prize in Classical Dance Solo 8-13 age group.

In the recent TANA convention held in San Jose, CA, popular telugu film singers Kausalya, Pranavi distributed the prizes in the presence of Kalatapasvi K. Viswanath, Sri Nandamuri Balakrishna, Smt Nannapaneni Rajakumari and other prominent people from Andhra Pradesh, India.

Our heartiest congratulations to these rocking stars from Colorado.

21st May 2011
An evening of Rabindra Sangeet by Sharmila Roy Pommot

The first ever Rabindra Sangeet Concert in Denver, Colorado was a major success on May 21, 2011 organized by Colorado Fine Arts Association, a non-profit organization promoting the fine arts. The evening kicked off with Mr. Ajay Menon (President) who gave a brief introduction of CFAA and introduced the MC's of the evening Ms. Sri Garimella and Mr. Amitabha Rakshit followed by the vote of thanks by Mr. Krish Hariharan (Vice President). It was .Wonderful evening at the Denver Art Museum listening to Sharmila Roy Pommot pay tribute to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary. Ms Sharmila Roy Pommot accompanied by Mr. Nabin Shrestha on the tabla, Ms. Sreeparna Gupt Das on the Keyboard and the multi-talented Virtuoso Ms. Priya Hariharan on the violin (in the latter part of the concert) were truly captivating and kept the audience enthralled.

Ms. Sharmila brought Tagore and the times he lived in back to life for us and did it with so much thought so much feeling and so deeply connected to his muse and thought process. Her choice of songs to please the audience from the various states of India ...talking about the various composers who inspired him... the simple dignity and humor in her introductions to each song... in her very demeanor... it was genuine... inimitable and it was real. It was universally enjoyable and it was very fitting for a student of Vishva Bharati and Shantiniketan. The story telling with each song broke all language barriers...Tagore came alive on stage as an aristocrat, a young student sent away to London to learn law and who instead came back with a bag of songs, a young married man very much in love and then a philosopher. The famous song "Aekla Chalo Re" which was written and sung during the Dandi March of our Pre-Independence was rendered with so much passion that the audience could not sit still and had to sing with Ms. Sharmila. Tagore's famous song "Phule Phule Dhole Dhole" which was an inspiration from a Scottish ballad was rendered so nicely that the audience was kept captivated by the music. Ms. Sharmila's sweet and enchanting voice - the interactive/ story telling concert kept the little kids interested as well. Ms. Roy also inculcated some carnatic music into her Rabindra Sangeet which was a very unique and novel style.

All in all it truly was one of a kind concert ever. As the evening came to an end, the audience wanted more of Ms. Sharmila Roy Pommot...and went back home with soulful music and many memories to be cherished. Those of us who knew the language reveled in the lyrics and those who didn't, enjoyed it as music is to be enjoyed - from the mind and the heart!
** DesiShades is thankful to Ms.Sri Garimella for this write-up

14th May 2011
Indian Dance Festival 2011 by Kerala Association of Colorado
The 12th Indian Dance Festival by Kerala Association of Colorado created a wholesome appreciation of the rich Indian dance traditions. The Indian dance style dates back to centuries. All the performances provided not the entertainment, but they also reflected the traditional and Philosophical meaning to the life. It was a typical spring day with gentle showers on 14th April, though it did not interrupt the Indian Dance Festival, the tradition of Colorado has been following for the past 12 years. It was the same enthusiasm from people with a good attendance, participation and cheer-up from beginning to the end with continuous applauses for every program on the stage. West High School in Denver was set to stage all these performances for over 4hours in duration. The audiences were warmly welcomed by the president Mr. Krish Krishnan who took the driving wheel for the second term after a little break, and explained the changes that the current team is bringing up.

The program started with the traditional Bharatanatyam dance Ananda Nartana by Annika Ajay, from Shivanjali Center for Fine Arts. Natyapriya School of Dance students Divya, Anjali, Shama and Aishwarya's performance for Pushpanjali was very well received by the audience. The Kuchipudi dance medley by Girija and Meghna from Saimeghna Dance School continued the classical performances greatly blended Annamacharya krithis. Narmada, semi-classical performance by Abhinaya School of Dance students Namita, Mythreyi, Sharada, Shrenija, Diya, Devanshi, Kavya, Rhea, Sona, Vaishnavi and Asha was a visual feast, that portrayed the holy river Narmada flowing through the mountains and plains to unite with the Arabian sea. The Mohiniyattam item Kusruthi Ganapathi by Sneha was appreciated by the audience. The young girls from Shivanjali - Aditi, Meghana, and Namritha, Shreya, and Shrushti performance showed the kids interest in the mainstream of Indian dance.

KAC brings a distinguished guest artist for the annual event. This year's artist Ms. Lakshmi Kurup from New York has a high profile in Indian Classical Dance and internationally acclaimed artist in multiple classical forms. She performed three different items-- Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and in Kuchipudi style, with same ease and expertise in their respective traditional strengths. Her first item of the evening - Padamanjari successfully showed the gestural and facial acting when her beloved Krishna arrives after a long period. The next item in Bharatanatyam tradition was the famous Nadesha Kautum, an invocatory piece that praises the Lord Nataraja, and the dancer was equally successful to bring up the expertise. Ms.Kurup's third item of the evening was a traditional Kuchipudi tarangam.

Shiva Stuti by Lata Sudendra was a great number. This was a famous composition of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, in Praise of Lord Shiva. Kanchadalayadakshi-- Traditional Kuchipudi dance by Prathyusha Apaprasu, Sonu Venkatraman and Avani Gangavelli of Laya Dance Academy was very well received by the audience. This piece was about goddess Lakshmi Devi, queen of the Universe. This was an outstanding performance with full of rhythm and zest. The semi-classical item for a Tamil movie song by Visual, Reinjure and Kamala was very much charming. This melodious song composed by AR Redman was intelligently blended with nice movements with a classical touch. A Bollywood medley dance performed by Joice was refreshing. The Nepali folk dance by the young girls Nikita, Arina, Akriti, Pradiptee, Lasata and Sarina was really cute, which showed the best movements for the rhythmic beats. The medley of dances by Smokey Hill High School girls Vikasini, Arthi, Sanjana and Hershini was joyful to watch. The girls received the best applause for their fast paced movements for the high-beat tracks. Muthu Mazhai was a Tamil movie song, for which the Kavitha and Nivetha was a great ending to the show. Last but not the least was the Desi Caliente choreographed by Subbu was a vibrant to the show.

The 2011 Colorado Dance festival invited a diverse range of artists including the younger performers to the dance gurus.

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