KOCHI: The inauguration of the new Sathi Kamala Hall, at Dharani School of Performing Arts on 26th of June, will provide a new venue for the students to perform their ‘arangettams' at bare minimum charges. V P Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan will inaugurate the hall, dedicated to portray the talents of the students practising at Dharani.
Shyamala Surendran, founder and managing trustee of Dharani School of Performing Arts, believes that the expenses parents have to incur to see their child perform are very high and most of the spotlight is snubbed by the sponsors of the events.
The Sathi Kamala Hall, named after Shyamala’s mother and her late friend Kamala, will be used for all the events conducted by the school, including performances, lectures and anniversaries. Built in the most ethnic fashion, the hall has the ambience of a traditional dance school with a seating capacity of up to 200 people.
“In India, we have temples which are architectural marvels, but not one place has any mention of the sculptor. Traditional dance is a part of our culture and it should be used to bring out our emotions. However, dance has become a mere place of marketing for one self. Personal benefits have become the driving factor for dance performances.” Said Shyamala Surendran. Dharani, which is set to complete 30 years since in 2017, is an institution with no age barriers. Shyamala, a late starter herself at 34, trains near 200 students at Dharani.
Helped by her senior students to conduct classes, Shyamala believes it is very important to learn dance and music simultaneously. “Thala is an important element of dance. Without Thala, a dancer is incomplete” she said. From a small school of 10 students to a dance institution with 200 students, Dharani’s growth has been a result of dedication and passion for the art forms.
“Students at Dharani are not allowed to participate in any competitions and are trained solely to express themselves through the art of Natya,” said Anthony, student of Shyamala Surendran for the past 16 years and a teacher at Dharani since 2008.
In a world where Modern Art is gaining popularity by the minute, Shyamala continues to follow the path of traditional art forms with utmost dedication. ”Art forms have become an easy trade with very less need for rigour and practice. Real talent gets left out in the attempt to ape the West,” she said.
