Sridevi Gopinath’s dance school Shri Nrithyakala Ashram celebrated its anniversary in style
She was inducted into the dance form at the age of six, and since then Sridevi Gopinath has come a long way.
Currently, the director and teacher of Shri Nrithyakala Ashram (SNA), where she has been conducting classes at various locations in Victoria (Epping, Craigieburn, Croydon, Wyndhamvale) for the last few years, Sridevi teaches bharathanatyam in its purest form sticking to the Kalakshetra style with utmost dedication.
SNA recently celebrated its anniversary with ‘Pradarshana’—an event that allowed Sridevi and her disciples—a group of passionate and budding artists an opportunity to show case their humble efforts dedicated towards the beautiful Indian classical dance form. The program was conducted at Darebin Arts & Convention Centre, Preston.
“In addition to learning an art form, I ensure that my students get to know the Indian tradition and culture, stay fit and focused”
― Sridevi
Sridevi took her first steps in dance at the Shri Bharathakala Ashram under the guidance of gurus K Gopinathan and Sunitha Gopinathan—senior disciples of Padmabhushan Prof. C. V Chandrasekhar and Jaya Chandrasekhar. At the age of 15, Sridevi completed her arangetram and eventually chose bharathanatyam as her profession, completing her Master’s in Fine Arts specialising in bharathanatyam from Bharathidasan University, India under the guidance of Dr Maria Stella.
Sridevi has also trained in mohiniyattam from the dance school Dasyam under the guidance of Gopika Varma and performed in her famous production “Radhey Evidey” at various stages. She is an active member of ABHAI (Association for Bharathanatyam Artists of India).
Sridevi started assisting her guru at Shri Bharathakala Ashram, Chennai, and continued there for seven years, until she moved to Australia.
“In addition to learning an art form, I ensure that my students get to know the Indian tradition and culture, stay fit and focused,” says Sridevi.
The anniversary program was conducted in the traditional format called “margam”. It ran for over three hours that included nine dance items. The program started with a Mallari and progressed through Ganesha Sthuthi, Alarippu, Jathiswaram, Varnam, Kollattam, Keerthanam, Namavali and completed the full course through a Thillana and Mangalam.
Sridevi performed for Varnam and Thillana whereas the other items were presented by her students—Advithiya Arrabolu, Juby James, Aleena Ann Binoy, Nandana Nair, Aleena Kurian, Neha Sabu, Ananya Nair, Rachel Alex, Ann Maria Baiju, Sahasra Dharmavarapu, Anna Treesa Baiju, Sheryl Mariam Karanath, Chelsia Sabu, Shika Annie Joe, Clare Joseph, Shrinika Hariprasad, Deepa Nair, Smitha Roney, Freya Jomon, Uma Komalan, Harshitha Karthick, Vaika Mary Joe, Hazel Jomon, Vaishnavi Varma, Helena Kurian. Rachana Amar and Vaishnavi Varma were the hosts for the evening.
The program also showcased a mind-blowing guest performance by Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy from Mysore. The chief guest for the evening was Shanthy Rajendran, who is one of the senior-most bharathanatyam teachers in Melbourne, who distributed certificates and medals to the performers. Rajitha Edula (Mrs Australia Planet 2016, Mrs International Planet—runner up 2016) and student of SNA felicitated the sponsors (Axis Travels, The Indian Sun, Anjappar, TILL, Nrithy Beauty Corner). The program was truly a treat for the eye and soul.
For classes please contact 0403 846 819 or email devisri775@gmail.com. Photo courtesy: Jayesh Palathingal
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