CHENNAI: As a kid I did not know what style of dance I was performing, I would just dance to any beat. All of us are art lovers in the family, but I think I am the first one to perform,” says 14-year-old S Avanthika, who is gearing up for her arangetram in the city. She was all of five when her mother discovered Avanthika’s love for dance, and signed her up for Bharatanatyam classes under guru Meenakshi Chitharanjan.
Having trained under the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, Avanthika says that this dance style embraces tradition. “Today, in Bharatanatyam, there are a lot of western moves that are inculcated into the steps, but Pandanallur has retained steps in its purest form,” she explains. Known popularly for the intensity of abhinayas and slow, graceful movements, Pandanallur style is the oldest form of Bharatanatyam. Avanthika gives complete credit to her guru for helping her grasp the nuances of this dance form. “My guru is a perfectionist, and will not compromise on the style” she says.
Avanthika has also trained to play the keyboard in the western classical style. She discovered her love for Carnatic music after writing a couple of exams on note-making. “I wasn’t able to connect with the western notes at all.
When I shifted to Carnatic style, it gave me a better perspective on music as a whole,” she explains. Ask her if it was because of her inclination towards classical dance which got her to switch from western to Carnatic music and she says, “I was able to understand the ragams and thalam better because I already had an idea about them from what I learnt in dance. And this way, I was able to also play several of my favourite ragams on the keyboard. My favourite ragam is Kalyani, both to play and dance to,” she shares.
Having a keen interest in learning different styles of dancing, Avanthika plans to teach dance once she learns all the intricacies of Bharatanatyam. “It is a culture in itself. I want more people to learn about it,” she adds. The young dancer also wishes to perform alongside her guru Meenakshi Chitharanjan one day.
With a week to go for her arangetram, Avanthika has been diligently practising for the last two months, to perfect her adavus and abhinayas. “I want everything to go well on that day, I will be doing two padams — one on lord Shiva and the other about goddess Kamakshi. I wake up at 5 am every day to practice” she says.