I'm starting something new for the blog today! I'm going to post some inspiration entries. These are the dancers who inspire me to do what I do, who inspire me to work harder, practice longer and make me fall in love with dance all over again.
Today I bring you "Bharatanatyam Inspirations" =D
Introducing...
Photo credit: Niranjan Prasad
APOORVA JAYARAMAN
Having trailed the internet there would seem to be little written about Apoorva Jayaraman, this jewel in the crown of Bharatanatyam, perhaps because she is still a rising star. From what I have been able to find out about her dance background, she is a disciple of the one and only Priyadarsini Govind, who incidentally was recently appointed director of Kalakshetra (if you do Bharatanatyam and haven't heard of Kalakshetra then shame on you.) She first performed solo at the age of 8 which in India I imagine is quite a feat, over here in the UK though Indian parents are shoving their kids onto the stage as soon as they can walk.
Photo Credit: Unknown/Bhavan Centre
There are two aspects of Apoorva Jayaraman's dance that I find so inspiring; first is her technique and posture, it's just perfect and makes her dance flow so beautifully. Secondly is her abhinaya, it is absolutely breathtaking. Not only does she just completely make you feel like you are actually watching a child Krishna or Ganesh on the stage but during pure dance pieces her smile is simply mesmerising. It is so amazing to see a dancer who is so refined and polished, her footwork is always pristine and crisp too.
Here are a couple of video links...
I think we all, as dancers, need to find inspiration from somewhere, dancers to look up to, to give us something to aim for, something to work towards. Watching Apoorva Jayaraman makes me want to work harder, to attempt to come somewhere near her perfection.
“Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.”
This quote, to me, shows another aspect of Ms. Jayaraman; even if her technique wasn't so unbelievably perfect, her performances would still captivate because she is captivating. There is no question when watching her dance that she is incredibly connected to Bharatanatyam, you can see her passion, love and spiritual connection to it. That, to me, makes her performances all the more breathtaking.
Apoorva Jayaraman, Bharatanatyam dancer, disciple of Priyadarsini Govind, inspiration to many.
my daughter is your big inspiration too. She has watched so many videos of yours . she is learning bharatanatyam currently.
ReplyDelete