Kalasree shines on stage

Students of the Kalashree Institute of Indian Classical Dance took to the stage in a dazzling performance celebrating the school’s tenth year anniversary in Sydney.

On August 18, audiences thronged to the Hurstville Civic Centre auditorium to watch the talented students perform items in the highly intricate dance genre of Bharatanatyam.

The performers, ranging from ages six to fifty, demonstrated the discipline and precise skill required in mastering the ancient and sacred style of classical dance.

Through meticulous hand gestures and sculpturesque poses, the dancers portrayed different stories found in Hindu mythology. Set against a simple yet effective backdrop consisting of a few props of hanging bells and garlands, each of the dance items stood out in their own right.

The opening item of the night, Mahaganapathim, paid homage to the Hindu deity Ganesha. The powerful Carnatic song sent spiritual vibrations throughout the auditorium as the younger-aged students bounded onto stage in colourful traditional costume. Emulating the Hindu god of success, abundance, wisdom and learning through their steps and poses, the item was well coordinated and succeeded in setting the scene for a night of exquisite dance and tantalizing music.

Some dance items, such as Angikam, explored the Bharathanatyam dancer’s ability to express the meaning of a song using their whole body, placing particular emphasis on the movements of their eyes and head. Other items, like Hasta Mudra, showcased how different hand gestures can denote the different Hindu deities, the nine planets, animals and more. The students that performed both of these items were very young, yet they did an impressive job in conveying the sophistication behind this age-old art form.

Following Angikam was the tantric Natesh Gautakam, the dance of Lord Shiva. Also known as a Thandav, this dance portrayed the creative and destructive forms of Shiva and was performed by both young and mature aged students. As the dancers executed the sturdy