CHENNAI: She’s a child prodigy, and is renowned for capturing the bhavas and abinayas with ease and perfection at a very young age. Having learned Bharatanatyam since four, this young dancer never fails to enthrall the audience, commented a rasika, after her performance during the 30th edition of Margazhi Mahotsav at Bharat Kalachar, YGP Auditorium.
Meet Vinisha Kathiravan, disciple of Urmila Satyanarayanan, who recently presented a solo recital on Rama Rasa Anubavam — which portrayed seven key characters from the epic Ramayana.
Vinisha has always been inclined towards the arts and to learn dance was a natural evolution for the doe-eyed girl. Her parents took the chance to enroll Vinisha in dance classes and she learned the basic nuances of the art at a very young age. “These classes were near by and I would train there almost every day. But, as a child, I switched two-three gurus. I was too young to remember them much now,” she confesses.
Life took a turn for Vinisha after she joined the dance exponent, choreographer and performer Urmila Satyanarayanan’s, Natya Sankalpaa. She credits her parents for being her support system. “They accompany me everywhere and skip or sometimes even cancel their work to help me learn more. I am blessed.”
After her association with the dance school and Urmila, Vinisha says ‘that was the moment’. “I realised how much I loved the art and that’s when I became more serious about it. I used to go for classes every day after school and I learnt a lot. I enjoyed every bit,” says the dancer.
Recalling her arangetram days, she gushes. “It was a memorable day for me. If someone asks about my best performance, I won’t be able to answer. But, if you ask about my best memory…it would be this. I felt blessed and honoured,” says Vinisha who’s now studying for a medical degree.
So, how does she juggle between a hectic academic schedule and rehearsals? “I find the time. This line of studies is of course not easy. There’s a lot to study and also we have hospital shifts. But, I make sure I go for rehearsals every day. Depending on the day’s schedule, I go for practice. I wouldn’t call it hectic, but it’s an experience!” exclaims Vinisha who wishes to become a gynaecologist. Ask her if she would choose between the two as a full-time career and she opines, “Both are my passion. I would probably pursue both professionally, side-by-side. It’s hard for me to let go of one for the other.”
While she has always been known as an all-rounder, there is a lesser known fact about Vinisha — she is also a trained carnatic vocalist and has given voice overs to many advertisements and has also sung jingles. “I like singing as well, but currently my schedule is packed with dance and education.
I have also sung devotional songs on Ayyappa for the album Saranam Ayyappa. I would like to brush my singing skills sometime in the future. I am happy with what I am doing now, and am looking forward to my next set of performances,” she adds.