Bharatha Natyam taught free

by Anjana Gamage

When almost everything is done with the motive of earning money an old girl of Visakha Vidyalaya is conducting Bharatha Natyam classes free of charge to students of her Alma Mater.

She is Priyadarshani Bandara, who performed her Arangetram at the age of 14 under her guru Kamala Jayatilake.

“I assisted my guru Ms. Kamala Jayatilake with her Bharatha Natyam dancing classes from 1984 to June 1992. She was also an old girl of Visakha Vidyalaya and was conducting Bharatha natyam classes for the school.

After her death in 1993, I had to take over her classes. For more than ten years I have been conducting Bharatha Natyam classes at the Visakha Vidyalaya free of charge “, she said in an interview with the “Artscope”.

Priyadarshani conducts her classes thrice a week from Tuesday to Thursday.

So far eight students of Priyadarshani have performed their arangetram and the ninth student (Imihiri) will perform her arangetram on July 15 at the Bishop’s College auditorium, Colombo.

A landmark event in her Bharatha Natyam dancing career will take place when Priyadarshani’s own daughter Janani Bandara (13), a student of Vishakha Vidyalaya performs her arangetram in September as her tenth student at the same auditorium.

“Nruthya Manjari”, a dance performance by 53 students of Visakha Vidyalaya, produced by Priyadarshani was held last year in aid of the school.

“I am conducting the Bharatha Natyam classes for my pleasure and as a service for my Alma Mater. I don’t want to go behind money. But today ‘Arangetram’ has become highly commercialised. It’s a pity that some parents are pushing their daughters to learn Bharatha Natyam even when they don’t have the talent”, she said.

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