Bharatanatyam By Sathvika Ranganathan: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR BHARATANATYAM BY SATHVIKA RANGANATHAN

Most of her classmates, if asked what they are studying, would reply 1st year B Com at St. Francis. Sathvika will most likely say dance. No wonder she's performing in such rich company.

The South-Indian Cultural Association (SICA) is organising Nrithyotsav 2007, a dance festival, at Ravindra Bharathi, from 2nd to 4th July. The 3-day festival will have dance performances from renowned dancers like Meenakshi Chittaranjan, Ramya Harishankar, Sathvika Ranganathan and P B Pallavi.

Today, the final day, Sathvika Ranganathan will perform a solo Bharatanatyam recital based on Tiruppavai of Andal, choreographed by Hemamalini Arni. Sathvika, a disciple of Hemamalini Arni, is a young and talented dancer. Since her arangetram in 2002, she has taken part in several dance ballets choreographed by her guru, like The Winter Of Spring, Debatar Gras, Priye Priye and Geeta Govindam.

She has participated in the Youth Dance Festival organised by Kalasagaram. Apart from Bharatanatyam, she is also learning Carnatic vocal. Having just finished her schooling from Hyderabad Public School, she has joined St. Francis Degree College For Women in the first year of the B. Com. course.

Hemamalini Arni needs no introduction. Born in 1934, she learnt Bharatanatyam from great gurus like Kanappa Pillai, Guru Vazhavoor Ramaiah Pillai, Mylapore Gowriamma and Padma Vibhushan T Balasaraswathi. She is also skilled in Carnatic vocals. She has performed in the presence of renowned dignataries like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, C R Rajagopachariar and Countess Lady Mountbatten. She has taught her art to over 300 students, has been instrumental in the arangetrams of 25 students during 20 years, and has choreographed various dance ballets.

SICA was founded in 1959 by Dewan Bahadur Aramuda Iyengar, the Finance Minister of Hyderabad's Nizam and a great patron of Carnatic music. The association has since organised more than 1,000 concerts. It has provided a basic platform for upcoming artistes like U P Raju and Nagamani, Mandolin Srinivas and the Malladi Brothers. It conducts workshops, felicitates artistes, and provides both moral and financial support to upcoming artistes. Dr S Chakravarthy, IAS, former Chief Secretary to the Govt. Of AP, is the current President of the association, and R Chakrapani is the General Secretary.

The entry to the concert is by invitations for members - members of the general public need to buy donor passes of Rs. 25 or Rs. 50 per head. Please contact V Ramachandran at 92461-61420 for further details.