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The girls: Priya, Divya, and Sacha (Monday class) choreographed this in the car in traffic after Sunday's performance in OC in about 30 minutes, then rehearsed it for 5 minutes before Monday class.
Simply amazing and creative...
Posted on: Friday, April 13, 2012
HOUSTON - On March 25, 2012, Navaratri was celebrated at the Radha Krishna Temple and Akhila Ananth from California performed and offered her prayers to Lord Krishna on this special occasion.
The special evening was graced by about 300 attendees and devotees.
Akhila has been learning, teaching, performing, and breathing Bharata Natyam and other dance forms for 25 years. She completed her arangetram (solo dance debut) in 1997 and has since been a member of the Shakti Dance Company in Los Angeles, CA, through which she has toured North America and India.
In 2009, she performed with Shakti, Viver Brasil, and Halau Keali’i O Nalani at the International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Though she has learned other types of dance, this ancient South Indian classical dance form of her upbringing remains her passion. In her time away from dance, Akhila pursues a PhD in the departments of Criminology, Law and Society and Women’s Studies at the University of Irvine California.
She was felicitated by the SRK Temple Trustee Ram Sharma and by ICC President Rajiv Bhavsar.
On sunday march 25th the girl scout troop which my student in Artesia (Reesha Hora) belongs to came to get a cultural experience at Shakti in Orange!
Our teachers Joohi, Kiran and Vanita with assistance from Amalu gave them a wonderful dance experience! Sharing some moments!
http://www.shaktidancecompany.com/index.php/news#sigProGalleria802d757349
March 1st 2012
Mythili’s presentation was excellent. She was technically perfect, but her abhinaya stole the show. The centrepiece of her performance was Panchali Shapathamwhere she played the gamut of characters in the dice game episode from the Mahabharata.
This letter and photos are from Cheryl.
She took my beginner bharata natyam class at WAC at UCLA.
Ten weeks of bharata natyam in academic paradise!
It was wonderful to see the progress!
Dear friends of Shakti ,
This was a letter that was written to Mythili by a member of the audience when she danced in England in 2007.
I wanted to share it because it is the very essence, the very core of all we want to experience with the arts and in life...
Viji Prakash
My mother first took me to dance class when I was just five years old. We entered a huge hall in a Church which had been transformed into a dance studio, and were greeted by a beautiful lady with radiant black hair, big brown eyes, a long red bindi and a warm smile. She introduced herself as "Viji Aunty," and she was going to be my dance teacher. After my mother talked to her for few minutes, she asked me to join the other girls in the class, and I reluctantly left the comfort of my mother and entered the studio. Little did I know how much of an effect this lady would have on my life.
CHAT Young Bharatanatyam exponent Mythili Prakash on what she loves about her art. ANJANA RAJAN
Looking within Mythili Prakash Photo: S. ThanthoniBharatanatyam, like the rest of the world, often seems to be going the physical way, where little is left to subtlety and the physical dynamics dazzle audiences, especially when performed by agile young dancers. Many would agree its real potency ignites when stamina and agility combine with intellect and spirit, and young dancers who tread this more exciting — because unpredictable — path are welcomed. One such is Mythili Prakash, born and brought up in the U.S. and trained under her mother, well known Bharatanatyam exponent Viji Prakash. Mythili now divides her time between Chennai and Los Angeles.
The first performance for the evening was a solo by Mythili Prakash. Dressed in a striking yellow costume, Mythili’s stage presence is undoubtedly one of the best we could have seen amongst the younger generation of dancers. She presented an eclectic mix of items for the evening, all equally pleasant and poised.
Mythili Prakash, a young Bharatanatyam dancer needs to be complimented for her thorough research and understanding of Akka Mahadevi, whose poetry, passion and perseverance depicts her radical thoughts to remember for generations now! With stunning stances, emotive expressions and telling grace, Mythili clad in white, weaves the saga of Akka Mahadevi, who ripens to realize her Oneness with Lord Mallikarjuna. As the poems sung by Aditya Prakash lilt across… Mythili rolls out the imageries on stage … Akka Mahadevi evolving into the divine, uniting into the existence of Siva!