About

About This Website …

This website is still under construction.

The website aims to be an online learning aid and not a Guru.This project, which is a collaborative effort, aims at being a learning aid rather than replacing a Guru. The role of Gurus can never be substituted in the propagation of any of the “divine classical art forms” where the Gurusishya parampara and interactive relationships are essential. Art is not taught, effectively it is imbibed…Nevertheless this is a virtual attempt to open the doors to Bharathanatym on traditional class like sessions.

The website aims to link the vast resources that exist on the web at relevant places to make learning easier and wholesome.

Who is this Website for?

This free online instruction program we hope will be of use to teachers, students and parents alike in their quest for Bharathanatyam knowledge and awareness.

This project has real class like sessions that can help :-

• Teachers organize their sessions.
• Students brush up what was learned previously. This can be a good companion to those who want to pick up their threads from where they left.
• Reinforce what is learned at class, for students.
• As a virtual help to passionate students who are unable to find a guru.
• Parents/ Mentors guide their kids. This will go a long way in determining the grasp and exposure of the child to the art form, thereby leading to successful learning.

How to use this Website?

In order to participate effectively in this learning program, start at the first session and then proceed with subsequent posts. This will give your learning, a structure and organization that comes with the progression in a real life dance class.

The comments can ensure interactivity between the authors and readers. We are still under construction and that gives us the flexibility to tailor the course to suit your needs.

We look forward to your comments and suggestions …

Regards,

Online Bharathanatyam Academy

Copyrights and License Information: The contents of this site is governed by the

Online Bharathanatyam Academy by http://onlinebharathanatyamacademy.wordpress.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

About The Authors

Mrs. Sangeetha Shyam :

Mrs.Sangeetha Shyam, who hails from a family of art lovers, began her training in the rigors of Indian Classical Dance at a tender age of two. She began her lessons in Bharathantayam in the Pandanallur tradition with “Kalaimamani” Smt. Indra Rajan, niece of K.N. Dandayuthapani Pillai . She later embraced the Vazhuvoor tradition, drawn by its grace and creative choreography. She is a disciple of renowned “Padmasri” Smt. Chitra Visweswaran, and her senior disciple, Guru Smt. Priyadarshini Ramchand. Dance pedagogy, notation, and documentation are her key interests. Sangeetha is also trained in Carnatic Vocal and Instrumental (veena) Music. Academically she holds a Master’s Research Degree in Food and Nutrition, from the University of Madras, India. Apart form arts, her interests include, volunteering, multimedia and web designing.

She began assisting junior classes at her Guru’s institutes. She  trained committed and focussed students at Chidambaram Arts,  at Bandung, Indonesia for around 10 years. She currently resides in Kualalumpur, Malaysia. She is happy to share her passion and her 25 years of experience in the art form as a student, teacher and rasika with a wider audience through the mighty medium of Internet.

Sangeetha will currently be dealing with the sections on adavus, and related aspects.

Mr.Santosh Kumar: (His website)

Santosh Kumar is the Founder and Director of Kshetra Indian Dance School, Hong kong, India, equipped with a Masters Degree (Honours), in Bharathanatyam and Classical Music (Karnatic), from Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts, Chennai, India. He was a guest artist and faculty at Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts, Chennai. Santosh is also a proficient nattuvangam artist who has accompanied reputed artistes in their performances. Apart from Bharathanatyam, he is trained in Mohinyattham, Kuchipudi and folk dances of India. Santosh is a recipient of various titles and awards. Prominent among them are the “Kalaprathiba” and Government of Andhra Pradesh Department of Culture certificate for dance production.

At his institute Kshetra, he trains students (beginners to advanced levels) for performance and examinations. His institute also trains instructors. A naturally gifted and patient teacher with an eye for perfection, he brings out the best in his students.  He served as the Visiting Scholar at the University of Hong Kong. Currently santosh continues to serve his passion at UK.

Santosh will deal with the Bhedas and Viniyoga Slokas.

Past Contributors:

Mrs. Mallika Jayanthi :

The Academy is grateful to Mallika’s insight and acknowledges her contribution while she has been apart of this academy.(From its inception In January 2008 to April 20th, 2008 )

Mallika, along with Sangeetha ,was instrumental in getting an Online Bharathanatyam Academy started. She has dealt with the section on Anghas in this academy.