Bharatha Kala Kshetram students mesmerise audience with their performance

Hyderabad: Around 60 students of Bharatha Kala Kshetram have mesmerised the audience during a Talent Expo organised on the occasion of its first anniversary celebrations at Marina Skies Clubhouse, Moosapet in Hyderabad. The young kids of different age groups have enthralled the visitors by performing both traditional Kuchipudi and western dance forms.

VVS Jagannadha Rao, a renowned Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer & a dance teacher, and Srinivas Rao Goddu, Associate Dean of International Affairs at Andhra University, were the chief guests at the event.

On the occasion, Jagannadha Rao appreciated the young talent of the dance school. He is a direct disciple of legendary Indian dancer and Kuchipudi dance guru Padma Bhusan Vempati Chinna Satyam. He is also the guru of Niharika Chowdary, Founder of Bharatha Kala Kshetram.

She had started performing classical dance shows right from the age of three years. When others of her age struggle to walk, she used to dance on the edge of brass plate keeping earthernware pots on her head. Since her childhood, she had won various national and state level awards for her energetic dance performances in Odissi, Kuchipudi and western dance forms.

Fondly known as 'Aata' Niharika, she had won the grand finale titles of popular dance shows like Zee Telugu Aata 5 Juniors and ETV Telugu Dhoom during her school days. She was recently recognised by Doordarshan as Grade-B artist. Very soon, she will become a Grade-A artist.

The multifaceted dancer, familiar with a broad range of dance skills, was flooded up with several offers from Telugu film industry. Coming from a conservative Hindu family background, she politely denied all those offers to complete her higher education.

After completing BCA with distinction, she got campus placement at a top MNC. However, she rejected the job offer to pursue Master of Performing Arts (MPA) at Sri Siddhendra Yogi Kala Peetham, affiliated to Sri Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University.

Speaking about her future plans, Niharika says, "I will do PhD in Kuchipudi. Through my dance institute, I am trying to spread Kuchipudi in its purest form. I encourage my students to learn both theory and practicals before going for a dance performance."

"This event was organised to showcase the talent of my students who have learnt classical as well as western dance forms. Though I have trained more than 80-100 students, I still feel myself as a humble learner of Kuchipudi dance form," she adds.