'Kathak is my breath & life'

Tirupati: Kathak, one of the Indian classical dances that was once flourished in the country with the support lent by the kings and rich is now waning for want of support coupled with the domination of western culture. However, many driven with their passion for the ancient dance form have been making determined efforts for rejuvenation of Indian dances like Kathak. A dancer-turned-teacher from the pilgrim city Dharmavarapu Sridevi is one among those, who have been making dedicated service to preserve and promote Kathak not only in our country but also abroad. Sridevi, who was the disciple of Kathak Master D Lokabhiram, a TTD Annamacharaya Project Artist, learnt the ancient art from him, the one and only Kathak Master in the city. Her passion for Kathak and her urge to promote it among the young more so girls saw her become Kathak instructor taking up Kathak teaching, 30 years back and there is no looking back.

To her credit, she did more than 500 performances including Telugu Association celebration at Delhi, many times at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad, SV University World Economic Conference, in Tirumala Brahmotsavams when she was young studying college, five times on Nadaneerajanam platform, Tirumala etc.

She even gave up her high paying secured SBI job with an avowed aim of taking up Kathak teaching as its fulltime instructor and set up the dance school Dikky's Academy of Dance (DAD) in memory of her late father to churn out the young as dancers to spread the ancient classical dance. She is the one among very few teaching Kathak dance, probably in the state, which is not that much popular in the South Indian states.

After a leg injury she was forced to confine teaching Kathak, stopping dance performance. The school started with five students and is now 50 and many of the students settled abroad engaged as dancers and instructors giving the much needed boost up the vibrant Kathak to thrive.

A visit to her residence in Yasoda Nagar on KT Road where we can found all her mementoes, citations and certificates right from college's day reveal her valuable contribution for ancient Hindustani dance Kathak.

Speaking to The Hans India, Sridevi said her late father D Krishnamurthy though a doctor and worked as Microbiology professor in SV Medical College, Tirupati, who was a Hindustani classical singer and a composer, was the inspiration for her taking up Kathak teaching.

"My breath and my joy is Kathak. It opened up for me a new life," she said adding that she resigned her SBI job fetching a good assured income as she found it a hurdle to serve and spread Kathak, her ultimate goal. "I feel I born for propagating Kathak in bringing its past glory," she maintained confidently.

Sridevi not limited herself to performance and teaching but also took up posting videos with the support of her students on select Kathak dances on various themes that are popular on YouTube for the benefit of young keen on learning more about Kathak to induce them practice it and observed after it is the young who have seen Kathak get back its glorious days.

She informed beamingly that on the invitation from her students in America she is visiting the US soon to conduct Kathak classes and also added that she already visited US for performing Kathak on the occasion of North American Telugu Association (NATA) annual celebrations a few years back.