Bharatanatyam Ballet By Dr Ananda Shankar & Disciples: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR BHARATANATYAM BALLET BY DR...

The Lord's song make Ananda Shankar's ballet look good, and Ananda Shankar's ballet makes the Lord's song look good. It's a mutual admiration society here.

The South India Cultural Association (SICA), one of the oldest cultural associations of the twin cities, is organising its 47th Annual Festival of Music and Dance from 17th to 24th February, at Ravindra Bharathi. The week-long festival will witness some of the best Carnatic musicians and classical dancers of the country, like Sanjay Subrahmanyam, U P Raju and Nagamani, Sudha Ragunathan, T V Sankaranarayanan, P Unnikrishnan, Dr Ananda Shankat Jayant, Gopika Varma, Revathi Ramachandran and Deepika Reddy, sharing the stage. Today, the fifth day, Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant, along with her disciples, will present a Bharatanatyam ballet, Srirama Namam Enta Ruchi Ra.

Trained by brilliant gurus in the true guru-sishya parampara at Kalakshetra, Dr Ananda Shankar learnt Bharatanatyam under the illustrious Rukmini Devi Arundale. She learnt Kuchipudi under Pasumarti Ramalinga Sastry. She is also good in Carnatic music, veena, choreography and nattuvangam.

Having performed all over the country and the world, she has received innumerable awards and titles such as the prestigious Nritya Choodamani from the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, in 2006; Natya Illavarasi from the Sree Shanmukhananda Sangeet Sabha, New Delhi, in 2004; Kalaimamani, the highest Tamil Nadu state Government award, for the year 2002, Aadar Kalai Selvam from the Pollachi Tamil Isai Sangam in 2001, and others such as Woman Of The Year award in 2000 from the American Biographical Institute, Nadanamamani, Abhinaya Bharati, Natya Mayuri and Natya Gandharvini.

Known the world over for her excellent choreography, Ananda has Sri Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum, Buddham Saranam Gachchami, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, What About Me?, Expressions Of Truth On The Ideals Of The Mahatma, Darshanam