Tomorrow (Saturday) at Sacred Heart College Auditorium, Glendowie, Auckland
Venkat Raman
Auckland, May 5, 2023
More than 30 students learning and practising the ancient art of Bharata Natyam will participate in a unique event in Auckland tomorrow- Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The First Annual Indian Newslink Bharata Natyam Festival, also perhaps the first in the country, will be held from 6 pm at Sacred Heart College Auditorium located at 250 West Tamaki Road in the Central Auckland suburb of Glendowie.
Immigration, Transport, Workplace Relations & Safety and Auckland Minister Michael Wood, Statistics and Earthquake Commission Minister Dr Deborah Russell, National Party Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly and ACT Party MP Damien Smith will be among the Guests of Honour at the event, which will include the introduction of a few candidates of Labour and National contesting in General Election 2023.
The organisers said that public response to the programme has been enthusiastic and that all tickets have been sold.
“Those attending the Bharata Natyam Festival can expect performances of high quality and a vegetarian dinner. This is a non-alcoholic event,” they said.
The participating schools include Anuradha’s School of Indian Dances (Auckland), Natraj School of Dance (Lower Hutt, Wellington) and Varaveena Dance Company (Auckland).
About Anuradha Ramkumar
Anuradha Ramkumar, Creative Director of Anuradha’s School of Indian Dances also known as Nrithya Abhinaya School of Dance is a renowned dancer, gifted teacher and choreographer of Bharatha Natyam and Kuchipudi styles of Indian dances. Between 1965 and 1990, she acquired performing experience in India and other countries in Bharatha Natyam, Kuchipudi and Andhra Natyam under distinguished Gurus.
Ms Ramkumar has earned the expertise to preserve, protect and promote Indian art and culture in India, Dubai and for the past 26 years in New Zealand. She has dedicated herself to the preservation and enhancement of these ancient dance forms by nurturing in her students from various ethnic backgrounds a keen interest and love for this art. Her instruction emphasises the importance of teaching this ancient art in its pure and pristine form and she brought out the best of Bharatha Natyam dancers to the fore.
Ms Ramkumar has taught, choreographed and presented solo, group and dance drama performances and conducted several Arangetrams in India, Dubai, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Among them are Kamba Ramayanam, Sri Krishna Maha Yugas, Surya Putra Karna and Krishna Leela. These productions are also a tribute to the innate talent of the younger members of our society who are a source of pride. They are the ambassadors of Indian culture and tradition.
Among the Awards and Citations earned by her include the Indian Newslink Wenceslaus Anthony Commemoration Award for her exemplary services to Arts and Culture, the Amrutha Ratna Award by the New Zealand Kannada Koota.
Natraj School of Dance
The Natraj School of Dance was established in 1999 to teach Bharata Natyam in the greater Wellington region. It began with 15 students and since then has trained over 1000 students and conducted the Arangetram of ten students, as fully qualified performers.
The school has produced several thematic productions since 2004 and has presented annual shows to provide an opportunity for students to perform and showcase their talent.
Some of the thematic presentations include Rasaleela, Hari Hara Bhava, Om Namah Shivaya, Namasankeerthanam, Om Shakthi, Tamil, Bharatanatyam and Hindu Gods.
The school specialises in producing unique fusion dances to showcase Unity in Diversity, bringing together cultures and traditions. Such fusion dances have included the Samoan Fire, Sri Lankan Kandyan dance, Western Classical Ballet and the Maori Kapa Haka.
About Prabha Ravi
The Natraj School of Dance in Wellington is among the bastions of the art of Bharata Natyam.
Prabhavathi (better known as Prabha) Ravi, who established the school in 2002 (although she started teaching the art in 1999) at her home in Lower Hutt, has singularly fostered its structure, form, course content and quality of teaching and learning.
Her penchant for dancing sprung from her innate passion for the arts and took her (at the age of three) to Kalaimamani Krishnakumari Narendran, a renowned Bharata Natyam teacher who runs ‘Abinaya Natyalaya’ in Chennai.
Following her Arangetram in Chennai at the age of nine, Ms Ravi pursued advanced training under Guru Udupi Sri Lakshminarayan (who was honoured with the Acharya Choodamani (or ‘Uncrowned Master’) title at an art conference held in the Tamil Nadu capital in December 2002).
Ms Ravi is credited with more than 100 solo Bharata Natyam performances in various academies and associations in Tamil Nadu and at community and dance festivals held in Canada, Sri Lanka and the US.
Wellingtonians and visitors have seen her performing at a number of functions organised by the Wellington City Council and associations.
Students of The Natraj School of Dance have added dignity and honour to their Guru with their energetic display of talents over the past several years in Wellington, Manawatu and Auckland. Specialising in the Pandanallur and Kancheepuram Ellappa styles, Ms Ravi has been a source of inspiration to her students, many of whom would nourish the ambition of graduating in the art.
Varaveena Dance Company
Varaveena Dance Company aims to promote and preserve Bharata Natyam by offering high-quality training to students and performing at various events and festivals.
The institution strives to foster deep appreciation of the cultural significance of Bharata Natyam, in New Zealand and around the world.
Director Athulya Mohan said that Varaveena Dance Company is deeply committed to preserving the rich cultural heritage of Bharata Natyam and ensuring that this art form continues to flourish for generations to come.
“Teaching is often considered to be a way of imparting knowledge and skills to others, but it can also be a powerful way of deepening one’s own understanding of a subject. This is certainly true in my case, where teaching has been a valuable tool for improving my own skills as a dancer. We are looking forward to the first Bharata Natyam Festival in New Zealand and feel very privileged to be a part of this Programme,” she said.
