Classical steps at the forefront

ELEGANT MOVES

A Bharatanatyam recital by award-winning classical dancer, Lavanya Ananth, was recently held at the Millenium School in Noida.

She captivated the students with her soulful spirituality and inherent understanding of her ability.

The performance was part of the series of the tour called ‘Virasat’, organised by ‘SPIC MACAY’ for its ‘Delhi Fest-2012’. The presentation, titled ‘Ritanjali’, a fast form of the dance, bore testimony to Ananth’s prowess as a choreographer of note, and loyalty to tradition, lyrical grace and powerful facial expressions. She was accompanied by her gifted orchestra, whose artistic consistency with the dancer made for a culturally enriching experience.

She started off the proceedings by enlightening the audience, which was predominantly made up of school children, with the origin and history of bharatanatyam. She further taught them the various units of the dance and the significance of ‘namaskaram’ in the dance, besides explaining the various other intricacies involved in the art.

The children were so excited that some of them even joined her on the stage to learn the art from the master herself. “I liked the way she taught the units of the dance. We got to learn a lot about the classical dance,” said Urooj Azhar, an eighth standard student at the school.

Another student, Kovid Lakhera, studying in the fourth standard, was emotionally touched by the performance of the dancer. “The performance was so beautiful, that I had tears in my eyes,” he said.

A disciple of luminaries such as S Rajarathnam Pillai, and K J Sarasa in the ‘Vazhuvoor’ style of dance, Ananth also came under the expert tutelage of the doyen of ‘abhinaya’, Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan. She created a unique aura of divinity and spirituality, stemming from her deep-rooted belief in the spiritualism of Indian classical dance.

Thanking ‘SPIC MACAY’ for the opportunity, Lavanya concluded the presentation with her impeccable piece on the tunes of ‘Vande Mataram’ amid a loud round of applause by the audience.

Speaking on the sidelines of the occasion, Lavanya Ananth felt that events like these bring children closer to their roots, which are otherwise losing significance. “I think it’s important for the children to feel the essence of the Indian classical dance, otherwise they lose their roots,” she said.

When asked as to what needs to be done to preserve the classical art form, she said, “One way is to include the classical art forms both, music and dance in the curriculum, and the other way is by organising such performances frequently in schools and colleges to spread awareness among the youth.”

She further made a point by underlining the role of cinema in this direction as well. “I believe cinema can play a vital role to showcase the various dance forms,” she concluded.

Archana Soni, the vice principal of the Millennium School, said, “We are dedicated to provide adequate opportunities to the children to appreciate the rich cultural heritage and the event was an endeavor in that direction.”