Bharatanatyam Dancers Purvadhanashree

Bharatanatyam Dancers Purvadhanashree

Critics and connoisseurs consider Purvadhanashree as one of the most outstanding Bharatanatyam dancers of the younger generation. She is amongst the youngest "A-top " Grade artiste of Doordarshan, India’s national broadcasting corporation. Born and brought up in New Delhi, she had the privilege to perform on the inaugural day of the December Festival 2000 at the Music Academy, Chennai. She was judged the best dancer at the Spirit of Youth concerts 1999 and was conferred the prestigious Dr. MGR Award. She has been awarded the title of ‘Nrityashree’ (Splendorous Danseuse) by the Saregamapadhani Foundation, Chennai.

Purvadhanashree is an empanelled artiste of Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Government of India. In 2000 Purva started her training in Vilasini Natyam. Since then she has performed widely across India. Purva has participated in various festivals including those conducted in Khajuraho, Mudra (Trivandrum) and Chennai Music Adademy. Central Sangeet Natak Akademi conferred her with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for Vilasini Natyam in 2009.

Vilasini Natyam

Vilasini Natyam is the name given to the dance tradition of the temple dancers of Andhra Pradesh. These dancers were known as Kalavantulu. Unlike similar traditions that have evolved in other regions of the country, the ritual-specific (Gudi Seva), ceremonial-specific (Kacheri Ata) and dance operatic (Ata Bhagavatam) aspects of the temple dances form an integral part of the Vilasini Natyam repertoire. Apart from being a distinctive style, Vilasini Natyam is unique in that it retains the functional classification of the art practiced by these Kalavantulu, suitably adapted for modern-day stage presentation.

An exquisite form of expression shaped over centuries enriched by the artistic imagination of countless temple dancers this dance tradition has been painstakingly researched and recast by Swapnasundari, who worked under the guidance of Maddula Lakshmi Narayana, who was an exponent of this tradition.