KOCHI: When passion and determination met talent, age didn't have any boundaries. Asha Muraleedharan, a dancer from Tripunithura, is now a prominent dancer as well as a dance teacher at the age of 64. Asha has now performed at various stages across the world. Mohiniyattam and bharatanatyam remain her field of expertise, while she has also learnt and performed kathakali and kuchipudi.
Asha now takes dance classes for more than 60 students every day in her house since the past 35 years. More than 500 students have learned under her guidance and now they send their children to Asha. She has performed dances in Malayalam films 'Adhikaram' (1980) and 'Mamankam' (1979). She is now preparing herself for a performance at Guruvayoor temple in July along with her granddaughter.
Asha has also won numerous awards in her field, including Kerala University's 'Sarva Kala Pratibha' (five times consecutively), National Level 'A' grade artist position given by Doordarshan, a gold medal given by the Kerala High Court and a scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Born and bought up in a family of artists and dancers, Asha developed a passion for dance from her early childhood. Inspired by her mom who was a music teacher, Asha started to learn mohiniyattom at five, under the guidance of Kalakshetram Vilasini. She learnt bharatanatyam from Kalamandalam Kalyanakutti and did her graduation in mathematics from St Teresa's College, Kochi. However, she turned to teaching dance as a profession. After teaching in Choice School for 10 years and Global Public School Tripunithura for two years, she now teaches the traditional dance forms in her house and performing on stages.
For Asha, teaching mohiniyattom and bharatanatyam, however, is not a means of earning an income. "Dancing is my passion. It is a gift of God. I want to share my passion with my students. I don't take a fee from any students of a poor financial background. I want to continue this way and teach dance till the day I can no longer do it physically," she said.
Apart from her mother, Asha's daughter and granddaughter are also into dance and music. Her sister Sreelekha S Kumar pursued music while Asha chose the path of dance. Her husband Muraleedharan and her son also extend their wholehearted support to her.
Asha says one's attitude towards art forms determines his or her career in it. "To young dancers out there, never consider dance as a medium of time pass. One must respect the art and take it seriously as a passion in order to become successful. Every dance form has its own duty, but I personally feel traditional dance forms makes the mind of the audience calm and peaceful. Such dance forms are not only a medium of entertainment but also a very good exercise for dancers," she said.
Before every performance, the dancer still seeks the blessing of her teacher Kalamandalam Vilasani. "I am still on the pursuit of learning. That is the attitude one must have. They should always learn new things and respect their teachers as much as possible," she said.