KOCHI: Poorna Hariharan’s love for Bharatanatyam started when she was just four years old. “My mother is a dance enthusiast. She motivated me to learn Bharatanatyam and started taking me to dance lessons when I was quite young. I learnt my basics from Nadanabhushanam Vinayachandran sir based in Thiruvananthapuram,” she says. Having performed solo for an hour-and-a-half at ‘Nruthyollasa’ in Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan on Sunday, the 26-year-old talks about how time hasn’t affected her love for dance.
Recalling her School Kalolsavam memories, she says, “At least during two terms of the academic year, I would be off for practice sessions. I had the luxury of attending a single term. My teachers and friends were extremely supportive,” says the alumna of Holy Angels’ Convent Higher Secondary School in the city.
An electronics and communication graduate from Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, Poorna says that the three years she spent training in Bengaluru nurtured her love for dance even more. “Every city is unique in its own way, but Bengaluru gave me more opportunities to perform.
Compared to Thiruvananthapuram, I had a lot more like-minded people to talk to about Bharatanatyam,” adds Poorna, who is employed as a business analyst in the garden city. The performer adds that dance classes help relax and manage the stress of a busy job. “I had dropped regular practice for a few years. But after leaving to Bengaluru, I have realised it is important for my mind that I keep performing,” she adds.
The artist earned her MFA in bharatanatyam from Kalai Kaveri College of Fine Arts, Tiruchirappalli. “Bharatanatyam is a vast art form and there is really no limit for how much one can learn. I’m currently training under P Praveen Kumar, who is helping me learn the art better,”she says.