Privilege, possibilities and experiences… We reached out to six Bharatanatyam male artistes from across the globe and asked them a common set of questions to feel enriched with a plethora of ideas and insights on inclusivity, gender-neutrality, exploration and experimentation, research and expression and about the beauty of art and how it enables the artiste to be vulnerable in a world so frail and chaotoic
We asked a few male dancers their opinion on privilege, exploration and takeaways in the field of Bharatanatyam for them. We are very happy to share their take with you all.
Read on to know more.
Mavin Khoo
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
I think for me personally, I have always been resistant to the underpinning of gendered roles in dance. So to equate notions of being male, alongside the privileges it may bring, is slightly problematic. The defining of the male dancer brings with it so many layers that I have never felt comfortable with – prescribed notions of masculinity or even worse, hyper heterosexual masculinity.
In all the performative elements required to justify the gendered role, I have always asked, where is the dance? A quick reflection of my Guru Lakshman Sir – I was performing Shringara-based Varnams in the early 90’s when male dancers were expected to dance only bhakti based works. In one performance, a senior guru approached Sir and questioned him for allowing me, as a male dancer, to dance Manavi Chekona in Sankarabharanam. Sir’s reply was, ’I don’t want him to dance like a man, I want him to Dance!’
As a male dancer have the possibilities of exploring the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
I have always felt that the identification of being a male dancer would be limiting to my growth and development as an artiste. The body is the strongest, visible construction on stage that reads numerous things. I wish to only Dance as a presence and energy force that is man, woman, neither, both. That is where I feel, a kind of liberation occurs; when I can be everything and nothing.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and why?
I guess Radha is a state of being that I am most familiar with. Firstly, because we are all Radha and she sits within us a spirit that is so human in her desires, her needs, her flaws. Secondly, I specifically refer to her as a state and not as a character because she is not a performed role- instead of playing Radha I try to reveal the Radha in me. Radha is Mavin, and Mavin is Radha. It is the best way that I can find the truth in ‘our’ voice.
——————Mohanapriyan Thavarajah
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
Firstly the greatest privilege of being a Bharatanatyam male dancer is to have received immense encouragement and refined training so far, in my dance journey. When I left home to go to India,in my early teens, to live by myself, to chase my dance dream, I realised how privileged I am to be able to be supported by my parents and pursue what I love.
Today when my audience appreciates my art, I realise how privileged I am, to be able to be taught and guided selflessly by my teachers and mentors. It is that love for dance that has never let me look back, as I started to discover more and more in the world of Bharatanatyam. I feel my bond with Bharatanatyam became stronger and a larger part of my life, helping to develop a distinct personality, who I am today. I always wanted to accumulate and imbibe deeper knowledge not just in dance, but everything that is connected to dance.
My crucial takeaway is to have trust in everything I do, learn to appreciate what I see, be grateful for what I have and not take advantage of my body but to care for it at its best, so that I have a smooth run in my career.
As a male dancer, have the possibilities to explore the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
It is a notion that male dancers have limited sources because mostly Bharatanatyam compositions are based on Sringara rasa, but for me as a male Bharatanatyam dancer, exploring sources for Bharatanatyam is definitely liberating.
I have come across beautiful compositions from the vocal concerts by great artists, explaining their origin and beauty. This has inspired me to create a lot of dance compositions. I have delved into many interesting compositions of Nayanmar from the seventh century Bhakti movement and the outcome of these research has resulted in some of the best compositions to be brought on stage, which are not known to many.
Literature is another gem of sources that allows dancers to explore human emotions which is common for all of us. Modern day poets have different approaches in their composition and that is something to consider. After all it is one’s creativity and ability to be able to give life to a composition, with the right intent and conviction, so that it can be as enjoyable to spectators as well for the dancer.
In my approach, I study a composition thoroughly, right from the lyrics to the subjective nuances, like intention of the words and meaning, the stories, the situations and the composer’s approach. This thorough study allows me to give perspectives, when I want to choreograph and perform it for my audiences. Interestingly this process has led me to discover lesser known contents from what we have in the form of texts.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and Why?
I love the compositions which have a sense of wittiness (Hasya rasa) like Nindastuti. I feel the nature of these compositions eases the state of the audience from formal setting to slightly informal setting. As you laugh your audience also laughs. On the other hand your wit is accepted and you are content that your idea has transformed.
It is quite hard to bring laughter to someone’s face. It takes a lot of conviction to do that. That’s why today in the world we hav e less comedy actors compared to the super heros on screen. People love comedy movies, shows and dramas. Hence I like to laugh and try to make my audience laugh too.
———————-Parshwanath Upadhye
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
In a society where being a man and being vulnerable don’t go hand in hand, dance became a tool for me to explore my creativity without any restrictions of modern society.
As a male dancer, have the possibilities to explore the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
It has always been liberating. Art is indeed always liberating; it is the artists who limit themselves.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and why?
Rama. He may not be perfect, he may not have had the best of life. But how many of us have the strength of not breaking down even after a series of obstacles in life.
————————–Praveen Kumar
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
The greatest privilege is that I am a Bharatanatyam artiste. Honestly I have never looked at it as a gender-based art form. Because, throughout my upbringing at home and my association with my dance gurus, dance was enjoyable and it was always about being responsible, when one is an artiste. So I feel all of us should celebrate that we are all looked at as ‘someone special’ by society. The attention, adulation we all get is unique. Of course, the debate with regard to privilege and about Bharatanatyam being a gender-based art form existed before and will continue to do so. But when we look at things closely, the earliest of dancers, gurus, choreographers, scholars, critics, historians, have all been men who have nurtured the arts, and in turn, have been nurtured by it. So the perks have already been laid and paid from before. So generations of ours are in a way, enjoying the foundation which our ancestors have built for us.
As a male dancer, have the possibilities to explore the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
Very liberating for me!
It is a form of meditation, where you are channelizing what is in your mind into your body, thus making it a freeing experience. So once it is done, it is over.
I think dancers have to to make it genderless dance, then only one can liberate oneself both professionally and personally, with creativity, and that space opens up for you to explore and go deeper. I feel it is a special experience not only for artistes, but also for rasikas because the collective experience of being ‘thoughtful’ will give both a moving and a transformative experience.
Doesn’t dance make us feel happy? Yes it does, I love the sweat when I dance; that itself makes me so liberated.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and why?
Well, this keeps changing as and when, depending on our moods, growth as an artist, as we mature, as we explore and get deeper. At one point of time, I just loved fast- paced compositions or when it came to abhinaya, I always thought that ‘a particular’ character has more shades to express.
But like I said, as I read, hear and based on my observations over the years, all these have changed my perspective. I am right now just enjoying the phase, where I would like to explore unknown subjects, which I have never tackled or delved into.
———————–Sathya Narayana Raju
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
Being a Bharatanatyam male dancer is already a privilege in itself. I say this, not as the competition is less or that male Bharatanatyam dancers are a minority community, but more so because it gives me an innate strength to present various characters, male and female convincingly, while also being able to manifest strong movement weaved with grace. I also find it engaging for the audiences, when I cover space to enhance drama or pure technique. Moreover many great acharyas and gurus in Bharatanatyam or other classical forms, have been male.
It only makes me happy that I am able to sustain myself through the art, as the art is really beyond gender. And so the most important takeaway for me is that it is not about size, gender, generation, or other diversity factors; it is about the excellence in tradition and art which stems from many years of relentless toil.
As a male dancer have the possibilities of exploring the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
This question is slowly losing relevance in today’s world. It is more about exploring, experimenting, pursuing and succeeding.
In the path that one chooses, it could be Bharatanatyam, any other art form or even a mundane professional career. The question should be ‘is one being limited today to choose their path of preference, to be liberated?’ Liberation is a state of mind which is experienced only if one is doing what they are best at, and I fought for my choices and am enjoying my freedom. Limitations could exist in any profession; however liberation can be experienced only by those who fight it. For me, it surely has been liberating and I would make all the same choices, if given another opportunity. Liberating for me because I have the freedom to express, to emote, to let go and more importantly be myself on and off the stage.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and why?
I would pick favourite characters, not just one. For instance there are Draupadi, Sita, Shabari and Shurphanaka. Each of them is known for their power, determination, strength, endurance, their conviction and devotion. Each of them is a rare combination of shakti and bhakti, in their own rights.
Depicting these characters enables me to understand and flow through a continuum of emotions, the highs and lows of the complex human behaviour. And how they stood tall due to their virtue of patience. Each and every time I live these characters on stage, it nurtures my awareness of how much more one can achieve with simple values and virtues.
———————–Sheejith Krishna
Bharatanatyam Artiste
The greatest privilege of being a male dancer in the world of Bharatanatyam and the most crucial takeaway from it?
In this day and age, it is my honest belief that gender does not define challenges or aspirations in our chosen field. I believe Natyam is gender-neutral and hence I am just a ‘dancer’.
My greatest takeaway from this art comes in the form of a beautiful and inclusive language. A language that allows me to communicate my beliefs and my desire for a better world. Importantly, a language which helps me speak to myself.
As a male dancer, have the possibilities to explore the world of Bharatanatyam been liberating or limiting?
Having shared my gender-neutral stance on being a dancer, I stand by the thought that one only needs to persevere honestly, to explore possibilities in the world of Bharatanatyam. Gender does not, today, play a role in the opportunities we find. And when Natyam is experienced in that truly “liberated” sense it imbues us with the richness of experiences much beyond what we could feel as individuals. As a dancer I feel more expansive, whole and limitless. That is the essence of art and its practice.
Your favourite character or piece from your repertoire that is closest to your heart, and Why?
I have played many characters or compositions both in dance dramas and in repertoire. At Kalakshetra, I played the roles of Rama to Ravana, Kuchela to Arjuna and many more. It is hard to describe which is my favourite.
Any character, mythical or puranic is a mere name in my mind, until it is embellished with values or gunas. It is the association of these qualities that make each character special and meaningful. Any character or story, thus experienced, is infact the truest experience of divinity in our mortal body.
More importantly, Godliness is what is important for me in characters we normally do. That I experience nature, friendship, from an unknown person in a difficult situation and that experience is all about the true spirit of God. So I try to create that in my choreography for the human to feel what is important or to know what God means for us.
Art helps me to create that true spirit within and helps me to share also.
COVER STORY Three costume designers Lakshmi Srinath, Sandhya Raman and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah from Chennai, Delhi and Singapore respectively, share their process, insights and views on designing and creating costume for dance and dancers Lakshmi Srinath “My interest in costume grew organically as a result of my passion and career as a visual artist” “My interest ... Read more
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COVER STORY Master Weaver of Magic Raising a toast to Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts, as he receives one of the most prestigious accolades for arts practitioners in Singapore – the Cultural Medallion… In the first week of December, Apsaras Arts Artistic Director Aravinth Kumarasamy, the man who needs no introduction to the ... Read more
Cover Story Dance of the Camera What happens when dance is on film? Do things shift for the artiste and choreographer when they are being seen through the camera’s eye? How do they negotiate this medium to create a work-of-art that is authentic to the dance and to cinema? Three senior Bharatanatyam artitses – Aravinth ... Read more
COVER STORY Let’s Talk Conservation Two young and talented Bharatanatyam artistes, Mahathi Kannan and Manasvini Ramachandran, share their interest, journey in working with the tangible and intangible in the arts… An interview Qus : What has been your fascination with the idea of heritage? When did you know that you wanted to study it formally ... Read more
Vision for Dance 2022 A straight-from-the-heart response from dancers and curators on their vision for dance Rama Vaidyanathan Bharatanatyam exponent “My vision for dance this year is to bring it back to stage; in front of a live audience. I am also hoping that when dance returns full-fledged to stage, it is enriched and nuanced, ... Read more
Presented by National Heritage Board of Singapore on 10th December 2020 Acceptance speech by Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts Dance Company. “Dear Guest of Honour, Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr. Edwin Tong, Ms. Yeoh Chee Yan, Chairman of NHB, and Ms. Chang Hwee Nee, CEO of NHB. Good afternoon. Receiving this ... Read more
Special Feature by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah “From the forest of his matted locks, water flows and wets his neck, on which hangs the divine snake like a garland, and his drum incessantly plays damat, damat, damat, damat.” Thus, Shiva is engaged in a very vigorous Tandava dance, to bless and shower, prosperity on the entire universe. ... Read more
AMARA: Dancing the Stories of Banteay Srei Inspired by the legends and the stories carved in its bas reliefs of the enchanting temple of Banteay Srei, this dance production brings to life the female divine Yoginis of the temple, which was once called the “citadel for women.” Apsaras Arts Dance Company is proud to present ... Read more
Over the months of May to July, Soumee De, Odissi faculty of Apsaras Arts, curated a series of webcast session for dance students, performers and teachers by inviting scholars, researchers and experts to share their practice, knowledge and experiences over an interactive dialogue. Over 10 episodes on Friday evenings, this series featured eminent speakers on ... Read more
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T Ramanan started learning mridangam at the age of 12 from the late Sri R Thangavelu of Kuala Lumpur. In 1981, he joined the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and studied under the loving care of Sri Karaikudi R Krishnamurthy. Ramanan passed his mridangam final examination conducted by the Society in June 1984 with distinction and was awarded a certificate of merit. This was followed by his arrangetram during Sri T V Sankaranarayanan’s concert in July 1984.
Ramanan has been performing regularly since 1981 and has accompanied many accomplished musicians and dancers, both locally and abroad. To date, he has provided mridangam accompaniment for more than 350 Bharatanatyam arangetrams.
Shivangi started her Kathak journey under the tutelage of guru Dr. Sadhana Naphde in Nagpur, India. She reached her first milestone when she was awarded a National Scholarship in the field of Kathak by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India and received intensive training under the able guidance of Guru Smt. Shama Bhate. Over the years, Shivangi has had the privilege to learn from the legend, Padmavibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, in numerous workshops and she has also been a part of Maharajji’s various choreographies for live performances and television. She has successfully completed her Visharad and Alankar in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyala and Master of Fine Arts (specialisation in Kathak). She is the recipient of various awards such as,”Nritya Kala Praveena” by Samskar Bharati, Hyderabad, “Nritya Shri” by Kiran Sanstha, Katni, M.P, Winner of National level Inter University Youth Festival of India for 2 consecutive years, “Nritya Kala Nipun” by Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, ” Pt.V D Paluskar Award ” winner by Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. She has given numerous solo performances in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Reunion Islands, Japan & USA. Shivangi is passionate about imparting her art to young and old alike instilling them a love for beauty, grace and excellence.
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has been the Resident Choreographer and Principal Dancer with Apsaras Arts since 2012.
Originally from Batticaloa, Srilanka, he has completed his Bachelors & Masters in Fine Arts (2005-2012) at) at Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, affiliate of Bharthidasan University, India under the tutelage of Ogeswari Shanmuganathan (Alumni of Kalakshetra Foundation, and has earned his MPhil (2014-2016) from Tanjavur Tamil University, India. His MPhil dissertation researched Cambodia’s Angkor Wat from a dancer’s perspective. A book on this is currently in the midst of being published. He is currently pursuing his PhD on the study of the influence of the roots of Indian culture and religion in Indonesian & Thai dance forms. Besides being a Bharatanatyam practitioner and researcher, he has also been trained in Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Kishore Mosalikanti. Today, he is being mentored by the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyadarshini Govind.
Since 2007, Mohanapriyan has received numerous awards and titles such as “Narthana Vithakan” and “Bharatha Kala Mani” for his performance proficiency in Bharatanatyam from various organisations in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. He has received significant critical acclaim for his imaginative and innovative choreography for both his ensemble and solo work that bring together the traditional vocabulary of the tenants of Bharatanatyam while retaining a vitalized interpretation and relevance to modern audiences. His in-depth research and deep understanding of South East Asian dance traditions has also made him a gifted & comprehensive designer of production costumes, headgear, jewelry and makeup. His deep aesthetic sense and creative knowledge in craft and design has enabled him to create spellbinding visual spectacles for many Apsaras Arts productions. Mohanapriyan has presented many dance research topics at seminars and workshops and is a well-regarded mentor and sought-after teacher for many young & upcoming dancers in France, USA, India and Singapore.
Vijaya Nadesan has been a senior student and performer of Apsaras Art for the past 30 years and now specializes in Arts Education programs for schools. She started her formal Bharatanatyam training in 1987 under the tutelage of the Cultural Medallion Recipient, Mrs. Neila Sathyalingam. During her two decades of dancing, she has performed with People’s Association (1990-2000) and have gained experiences in Multi Ethnic, Folk and Contemporary dance forms. Her Arangetram in 1999 was a culmination of her varied experiences in ensemble work. She has been part of many travelling dance productions overseas – China, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India representing Singapore’s multi-ethnic dances. Today, she is overall in-charge of overseas productions and overseas project financing, vendor management, logistic and rehearsal scheduling. Over the decades, she has developed coaching and mentoring skills of varied Indian dance forms in schools and has helped schools achieve awards for schools at the Singapore Youth Festival. She has also cultivated a keen interest in teaching the traditional dance form to non-indian dancers in schools. Her teaching method involves interacting closely with students and meticulously creating structured learning techniques for her students which has helped her create innovative choreography.
Seema Hari Kumar began her journey in dance at the age of eight under the tutelage of Mrs Neila Sathyalingam and has been a teaching faculty member for over 17 years. She has performed in over 15 National Day Parades and Chingay Processions under the banner of the People’s Association and has collaborated on various national-level events with the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Dance Ensemble (SMEDE). Besides being on the dance ensemble of all Apsaras Arts’ local productions such as Aarupadai, Aalam, Nirmanika, Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma etc. since 2001, Seema has also taken the global stage with the Company at international arts festivals in Australia, Bali, Cambodia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Liverpool and Vietnam. Apart from performing, Seema has also expanded her portfolio to include choreography and teaching. She has assisted in the choreography and mentoring of schools during the Singapore Youth Festivals in 2004-2006. In 2011, she was also identified as a mentor-choreographer on Vasantham Central’s “Salangai Oli” programme where she mentored and choreographed the items performed by the finalist in the competition. Besides her dance career, Seema majored in Political Science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from National University of Singapore in 2006 and works in the events management industry.
Shivangi started her Kathak journey under the tutelage of guru Dr. Sadhana Naphde in Nagpur, India. She reached her first milestone when she was awarded a National Scholarship in the field of Kathak by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India and received intensive training under the able guidance of Guru Smt. Shama Bhate. Over the years, Shivangi has had the privilege to learn from the legend, Padmavibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, in numerous workshops and she has also been a part of Maharajji’s various choreographies for live performances and television. She has successfully completed her Visharad and Alankar in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyala and Master of Fine Arts (specialisation in Kathak). She is the recipient of various awards such as,”Nritya Kala Praveena” by Samskar Bharati, Hyderabad, “Nritya Shri” by Kiran Sanstha, Katni, M.P, Winner of National level Inter University Youth Festival of India for 2 consecutive years, “Nritya Kala Nipun” by Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, ” Pt.V D Paluskar Award ” winner by Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. She has given numerous solo performances in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Reunion Islands, Japan & USA. Shivangi is passionate about imparting her art to young and old alike instilling them a love for beauty, grace and excellence.
Soumee De is a dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been training in Indian Classical dance forms- Kathak and Odissi, since the age of four. Soumee is a disciple of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra at Srjan, Bhubaneswar, India and currently an Odissi faculty at Apsaras Arts, Singapore. She is a co-founder of “Ethos -Exploring the Odissi Spirit,” a community of Odissi dancers in Singapore and recently hosted a series of Odissi related educational webcasts “ODE” featuring global scholars, dancers and teachers for holistic learning of dancers. She is the editor of Aavartana monthly newsletter published by Apsaras Arts and actively blogs in social media as a dance reviewer with the vision of growing the growing its appreciation beyond the boundaries of communities, borders, generations. Soumee also offers “Dance-telling” programs at The Artground and volunteers as a “Balvikas” teacher at Temple of Fine Arts for preschool young children. Among the recent performances, she was featured as a solo artiste at the Dance India Asia Pacific showcase by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay; performed in a new collaborative work “Kanna Va” by IndianRaga and Apsaras Arts in September 2020; conducted a workshop on “Ramayana through Odissi and Puppetry” at the Digital Culture festival by Indian Heritage Center; staged her new choreography “Ritu Ranga” at the Artwalk Little India Festival in January 2020-2019; “River Ramble” at the Stamford Arts Center opening by NAC in 2019; “Phenomenal Women” on International Women’s Day at The American Club and performed a full length solo repertoire at “Tribhanga” in the Darshana Intimate Dance Series by Apsaras Arts. She is an Economics graduate, completed an MBA in Human Resources and works as a management consultant to create a “better working world.”
Gayathri Chachithanandar holds a First class – Post graduate Diploma from Kalakshetra Foundation where she graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in both Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal disciplines in 2009. Hailing from Srilanka, she gained her initial training with Smt. Haridevi Jayasundara school of Fine Arts and North Ceylon Oriental Music Society. She also underwent advanced Bharatanatyam training under the tutelage of Sri. Sheejith Krishna, co-founder of Sahrdaya Foundation, Chennai, India.
As an accomplished teacher of 10 years, Gayathri has taught at Sahrdaya Foundation and at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). As a performer, she has performed all over the world, both solo and as part of ensemble productions in India, Srilanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Apart from Bharatanatyam, Gayathri’s excellent qualifications in Carnatic Vocals, Mridangam and Nattuvangam have made her unique teacher, able to impart not only the knowledge of the divine dance form but also teach the other building components of Dance, such as Music, Culture and Language.
Soumee De is a dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been training in Indian Classical dance forms- Kathak and Odissi, since the age of four. Soumee is a disciple of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra at Srjan, Bhubaneswar, India and currently an Odissi faculty at Apsaras Arts, Singapore. She is a co-founder of “Ethos -Exploring the Odissi Spirit,” a community of Odissi dancers in Singapore and recently hosted a series of Odissi related educational webcasts “ODE” featuring global scholars, dancers and teachers for holistic learning of dancers. She is the editor of Aavartana monthly newsletter published by Apsaras Arts and actively blogs in social media as a dance reviewer with the vision of growing the growing its appreciation beyond the boundaries of communities, borders, generations. Soumee also offers “Dance-telling” programs at The Artground and volunteers as a “Balvikas” teacher at Temple of Fine Arts for preschool young children. Among the recent performances, she was featured as a solo artiste at the Dance India Asia Pacific showcase by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay; performed in a new collaborative work “Kanna Va” by IndianRaga and Apsaras Arts in September 2020; conducted a workshop on “Ramayana through Odissi and Puppetry” at the Digital Culture festival by Indian Heritage Center; staged her new choreography “Ritu Ranga” at the Artwalk Little India Festival in January 2020-2019; “River Ramble” at the Stamford Arts Center opening by NAC in 2019; “Phenomenal Women” on International Women’s Day at The American Club and performed a full length solo repertoire at “Tribhanga” in the Darshana Intimate Dance Series by Apsaras Arts. She is an Economics graduate, completed an MBA in Human Resources and works as a management consultant to create a “better working world.”
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has been the Resident Choreographer and Principal Dancer with Apsaras Arts since 2012.
Originally from Batticaloa, Srilanka, he has completed his Bachelors & Masters in Fine Arts (2005-2012) at) at Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, affiliate of Bharthidasan University, India under the tutelage of Ogeswari Shanmuganathan (Alumni of Kalakshetra Foundation, and has earned his MPhil (2014-2016) from Tanjavur Tamil University, India. His MPhil dissertation researched Cambodia’s Angkor Wat from a dancer’s perspective. A book on this is currently in the midst of being published. He is currently pursuing his PhD on the study of the influence of the roots of Indian culture and religion in Indonesian & Thai dance forms. Besides being a Bharatanatyam practitioner and researcher, he has also been trained in Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Kishore Mosalikanti. Today, he is being mentored by the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyadarshini Govind.
Since 2007, Mohanapriyan has received numerous awards and titles such as “Narthana Vithakan” and “Bharatha Kala Mani” for his performance proficiency in Bharatanatyam from various organisations in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. He has received significant critical acclaim for his imaginative and innovative choreography for both his ensemble and solo work that bring together the traditional vocabulary of the tenants of Bharatanatyam while retaining a vitalized interpretation and relevance to modern audiences. His in-depth research and deep understanding of South East Asian dance traditions has also made him a gifted & comprehensive designer of production costumes, headgear, jewelry and makeup. His deep aesthetic sense and creative knowledge in craft and design has enabled him to create spellbinding visual spectacles for many Apsaras Arts productions. Mohanapriyan has presented many dance research topics at seminars and workshops and is a well-regarded mentor and sought-after teacher for many young & upcoming dancers in France, USA, India and Singapore.
Seema Hari Kumar began her journey in dance at the age of eight under the tutelage of Mrs Neila Sathyalingam and has been a teaching faculty member for over 17 years. She has performed in over 15 National Day Parades and Chingay Processions under the banner of the People’s Association and has collaborated on various national-level events with the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Dance Ensemble (SMEDE). Besides being on the dance ensemble of all Apsaras Arts’ local productions such as Aarupadai, Aalam, Nirmanika, Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma etc. since 2001, Seema has also taken the global stage with the Company at international arts festivals in Australia, Bali, Cambodia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Liverpool and Vietnam. Apart from performing, Seema has also expanded her portfolio to include choreography and teaching. She has assisted in the choreography and mentoring of schools during the Singapore Youth Festivals in 2004-2006. In 2011, she was also identified as a mentor-choreographer on Vasantham Central’s “Salangai Oli” programme where she mentored and choreographed the items performed by the finalist in the competition. Besides her dance career, Seema majored in Political Science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from National University of Singapore in 2006 and works in the events management industry.
Gayathri Chachithanandar holds a First class – Post graduate Diploma from Kalakshetra Foundation where she graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in both Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal disciplines in 2009. Hailing from Srilanka, she gained her initial training with Smt. Haridevi Jayasundara school of Fine Arts and North Ceylon Oriental Music Society. She also underwent advanced Bharatanatyam training under the tutelage of Sri. Sheejith Krishna, co-founder of Sahrdaya Foundation, Chennai, India.
As an accomplished teacher of 10 years, Gayathri has taught at Sahrdaya Foundation and at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). As a performer, she has performed all over the world, both solo and as part of ensemble productions in India, Srilanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Apart from Bharatanatyam, Gayathri’s excellent qualifications in Carnatic Vocals, Mridangam and Nattuvangam have made her unique teacher, able to impart not only the knowledge of the divine dance form but also teach the other building components of Dance, such as Music, Culture and Language.
Chitra Pubalan has learnt Bharatanatyam since the age of five. She started her journey at Usharani Subramaniam School of Dance in Singapore and completed her Arangetram in 2002. In 2006, she joined Apsaras Arts under the tutelage of Srimathi Neila Sathyalingam. She has had the privilege of performing in various venues across Singapore, participating in stage productions and been part of international dance tours to India, Australia and London. Besides teaching and performing, Chitra graduated from National Institute of Education (NIE) with a post graduate diploma in education. Today, she combines her dance teaching while being a baking entrepreneur and raising her young daughter.
V Loganayaki Govindarajan has been a student turned performer and teacher in Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Cultural Medallion Singapore Legend Smt. Neila Sathiyalingam since 1992. She completed her Diploma in Bharatanatyam and Arangetram in 2008, after years of intensive local and international trainings and performances. She had the rare opportunities to learn and perform with distinguished Apsaras senior students/alumni like V. Balakrishnun, Kavitha Krishnan, Vijaya Nadesan, Nagaletchumi Balasubramanian, Selvi Radhakrishnan and the Kesavan Sisters: Jayanthi and Suganthi. Beyond Singapore, she has also worked in productions by Ajith Bhaskar, Geethashankaran Lam, Sri Nimal Raj as well as Neha Mondal Chakrabothy from Malaysia. She has also completed training in vocal music under the tutelage of Eelanallur Sri Sathiyalingam, late Co-Founder of Apsaras Arts Singapore, Sri Sampagodu Vignaraja, Founder of Surya Global Music Academy Bangalore, India and music together with nattuvangam classes under the tutelage of Sri Nimal Raj, Natya Rajyam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She holds a BA in Psychology and enjoys working with children and grooming them into responsible individuals. She has a love for yoga, communal cooking and advocating green practices.
Vijaya Nadesan – Academy Principal
Vijaya Nadesan has been a senior student and performer of Apsaras Art for the past 30 years and now specializes in Arts Education programs for schools. She started her formal Bharatanatyam training in 1987 under the tutelage of the Cultural Medallion Recipient, Mrs. Neila Sathyalingam. During her two decades of dancing, she has performed with People’s Association (1990-2000) and have gained experiences in Multi Ethnic, Folk and Contemporary dance forms. Her Arangetram in 1999 was a culmination of her varied experiences in ensemble work. She has been part of many travelling dance productions overseas – China, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India representing Singapore’s multi-ethnic dances. Today, she is overall in-charge of overseas productions and overseas project financing, vendor management, logistic and rehearsal scheduling. Over the decades, she has developed coaching and mentoring skills of varied Indian dance forms in schools and has helped schools achieve awards for schools at the Singapore Youth Festival. She has also cultivated a keen interest in teaching the traditional dance form to non-indian dancers in schools. Her teaching method involves interacting closely with students and meticulously creating structured learning techniques for her students which has helped her create innovative choreography.