3 August 2022 /
VAZHI by SARENNIYA RAMATHAS /
STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE/ SINGAPORE /
6 August 2022 / 8 PM
PRASAANTHAM – Series featuring young and upcoming artists expands to feature three solo performances to commemorate Bhaskar’s Arts Academy’s 70th anniversary.
VAZHI which means path in Tamil is a showcase of Sarenniya’s personal journey in dance over the past two decades. A journey with many unexpected twists and turns, ebbs, and flows, Vazhi documents Sarenniya’s growth from a student to a teacher cum performer of Bharatanatyam.
Since dance has always and continues to intersect and intertwine with other areas of her life, Sarenniya inevitably forms her own journey with dance as she navigates through life. With a carefully curated line up of pieces by both herself and her Guru, Neewin Hershall, Sarenniya hopes to bring the audience on her journey, threading through each milestone of her life as a dancer.
The repertoire which Sarenniya will be presenting draws parallels to her initiation into dance, the merging of both her personal and dance lives, the dilemma of coexisting in both these worlds and finally recognising that her love for dance is one that is eternal, and that this will be in an ongoing journey.
Sarenniya also pays homage to all her gurus, teachers and instructors who have been instrumental in her dance journey, through Charukesi, a choreography of the late Mrs Santha Bhaskar.
An agile and flexible dancer, Sarenniya Ramathas has been learning Bharatanatyam since she was 10 and is one of Academy’s shooting stars. This notably vibrant dancer successfully completed her Diploma in Bharatanatyam in 2010 under the tutelage of Guru Neewin Hershall and joined the Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society teaching faculty soon after. In all her performances as a Company Dancer in Manohra, XPressions, I, Cyclops, Na Mah, Brihannala and Kutrala Kuravanji, and especially in her lead roles in Vinayaka and Butterfly Lovers, her impeccable executions and perfect anga saushtaava are evident, making Sarenniya a joy to watch.
BHASKAR’S ARTS ACADEMY
Bhaskar’s Arts Academy is a Singapore-based Indian classical dance, music and theatre company. The Academy has been in Singapore since 1952 when its founder the late Mr KP Bhaskar came here from India. It was helmed by his wife Mrs Santha Bhaskar until her demise in Feb 2022. Their daughter Ms Meenakshy Bhaskar is now Artistic Director.
The Academy has a uniquely evolving style that is reflective of the multicultural Singaporean spirit while being rooted in traditional techniques and philosophies.
Along with its teaching wing Nrityalaya Aesthetics Society, the Academy continues its mission to create, produce, present and promote traditional Indian arts both locally and internationally.
Images & content credit: Bhaskar’s Arts Academy
