AWARDS

Kalaimamani by Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi, Nadanamamani by Karthik Fine Arts, Yuva Kala Bharathi by Bharath Kalachar and many others.

PERFORMANCES

Over one thousand performances in all leading Sabhas and Dance Festivals across India and abroad.

ABHYASA

Academy of Dance established in 2004 with three branches currently, training over two hundred students at various levels, many of who are performing artistes.

The Artiste

Lavanya answered her calling to Bharathanatyam at the age of four when she came under the tutelage of the noted Guru, Kalaimamani Smt. K.J. Sarasa of Sarasalaya. She had her Arangetram at the age of seven, and since then, has given more than a thousand performances at all leading Sabhas and Festivals all over India and abroad.

Her talent has been recognized in the form of several awards and titles, the most noted being the Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu for the year 2018, “Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar” for the year 2013 & 2014 from Sangeet Natak Akademi, “Nadanamamani” from Karthik Fine Arts and “Yuva Kala Bharathi” from Bharat Kalachar. She has been a recipient of a national scholarship from The Center for Cultural Resources & Training, New Delhi, and is a winner of the Balasaraswathi Endowment Prize at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.

Lavanya is an A graded artiste for Doordarshan National and has been invited to perform at several international events, some of them being the “India International Week” in Japan, the BRICS International Conference in New Delhi, the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Swami Vivekananda in New Delhi, the Khajuraho Dance Festival, and the Bharathanatyam Festival of Malaysia. She was the youngest dancer invited to perform at Apna Utsav in New Delhi aged just eight.

Lavanya also imparts training in Bharathanatyam at her Academy of Classical Dance, Abhyasa, and also through lecture-demonstrations and presentations at various forums, and through SPIC-MACAY at schools and colleges around the country. She is also an accomplished nattuvangam artiste, an imaginative choreographer of Bharathanatyam ballets and productions, and has been a television hostess for a leading Tamil TV network.

Lavanya is the dance choreographer for the official anthem of “Namami Gange”, the mission of the Government of India to clean, rejuvenate, and conserve river Ganges, and also appeared in the video version with her students representing the Bharathanatyam art form.

Performances

Solo

  • Arangetram in 1986 with Dr. Padma Subramaniam as the Chief Guest.
  • National Cultural Festival “Apna Utsav” at New Delhi, in 1986. Youngest artiste to be invited from all over India.
  • Natyanjali Festival at Chidambaram, in 1986, 1987, 2002, 2011, 2014.
  • Natyanjali festival at Perur, in 1994, 1998, 2011, 2016.
  • Kumbakonam Natyanjali Festival at Kumbakonam, in 2008, 2014.
  • Brihan Natyanjali Festival at Thanjavur, in 2008, 2014.
  • Natyanjali Festival at Thirunallar, in 2008, 2014.
  • Natyanjali Festival at Nagapattinam, in 2008, 2014.
  • “Sprit of Youth” dance festival conducted by Madras Music Academy, in 1993.
  • Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram dance series in 1997. Specially selected by the Tamil Nadu Government from among dancers from all over the state to give three performances.
  • Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the dance career of Smt. Sudharani Raghupathy in 1997. Inaugural performance upon the invitation of Shree Bharathalaya.
  • Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple in 2001 – Organised by The South Zone Cultural Centre.
  • Mamallapuram Dance festival in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2011 and 2015 – organised by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation.
  • Shiva Vishnu Temple, at Washington DC, in 1995.
  • “Vasantha Utsavam” Festival at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, Chennai, in 2005.
  • International Week Celebrations at Shichigahama City, Japan, in 2000. Specially selected by the Department of Tourism, India, Regional Tourism, Tokyo, and The Government of Shichigahama City for five performances and TV shows.
  • Pallavothsav Dance Festival at Mysore, in 2007.
  • Venkateswara Swamy Brahmotsavam Festival at Tirupati, in 2010.
  • Bharath Sangeeth Utsav at Coimbatore, in 2010. Performed to music in kutcheri format along with vocal artistes, Carnatica Brothers.
  • 150th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Swami Vivekananda at India Habitat Center, Delhi, in 2011.
  • Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at Coonoor in 2011 – “Thyagaraja Samarpanam”, a dance production based on the works of Saint Thyagaraja.
  • Nruthya Bhushana Dance Festival at Mysore, in 2012 – a dance production featuring compositions of Mysore Vasudevachar.
  • International Dance Alliance at Bengaluru, in 2013.
  • BRICS International Competition Conference at New Delhi, in 2013.
  • Margazhi Music Season at Chennai in 2015 – “Amba”, a solo dance production.
  • India International Centre at New Delhi in 2015.
  • Inaugural ceremony of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2013 & 2014 at Agartala in 2015.
  • Khajuraho Dance Festival at Khujuraho, Madhya Pradesh in 2017.
  • Swaralaya Dance Festival at Palakkad, Kerala in 2018.
  • Bharathanatyam Festival of Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur in 2018.

Group

  • “ Pateeswararudan Oru Naal ” at
    • Perur Natyanjali.
  • “ Dasya Bhakti ” at
    • International Dance Alliance, Bengaluru.
  • “ Pulane Punniya Porule ” at
    • International Dance Alliance, Chennai.
    • Delhi Tamil Sangam, Delhi.
    • Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coonoor.
    • Thamizh Isai Sangam, Chennai.
  • “Mamava Pattabhirama” at
    • Bhavan’s Dance Festival, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore.
  • “Mokshadayini Gange” at
    • Bhavan’s Dance Festival, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore.
    • Bhavan’s Dance Festival, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai.
    • Thunchan Dance Festival, Tirur, Kerala.
    • Bharathanatyam Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
    • Karthik Fine Arts, Chennai.
    • Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai.
  • “Triloka Janani” at
    • Kala Pradarshini Dance Festival, Chennai.
  • “Kundrakudi Kuravanji” at
    • Rajalakshmi Fine Arts Music & Dance Festival, Coimbatore.
    • Thamizh Isai Sangam, Madurai.
  • “Pancha Tattva” at
    • Mylapore Fine arts Margazhi Dance Festival, Chennai.
  • Performances at
    • Nritya Aradhana Research Institute, Mumbai
    • Mamallapuram Dance Festival, Mamallapuram
    • Kullu Dussehra Festival, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
    • Navaratri Festival, Mookambika Temple, Kollur, Karnataka
    • Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram
    • Natyanjali Festival, Kumbakonam
    • Natyanjali Festival, Thanjavur
    • Natyanjali Festival, Thiruvarur
    • Natyanjali Festival, Mayiladuthurai
    • Natyanjali Festival, Perur

Lecture – Demonstrations and Presentations

  • “Bharathanatyam – Its origin and Nuances”, a lecture-demonstration presented at conferences with foreign delegates that gives a complete preview of the art form.
  • “Adavus in Vazhuvoor Style”, a lecture-demonstration with Smt. K.J. Sarasa at the Natya Kala Conference at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.
  • “Kauthuvams”, a lecture-demonstration with Smt. K.J. Sarasa at the Natyarangam at Sri Narada Gana Sabha.
  • “Sancharibhava in Varnams” a lecture-demonstration with smt K.J. Sarasa at the Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai.
  • Presentations on Bharathanatyam at schools and colleges as part of the Paritchya Team to propagate music and dance to youth.

Awards

  • Conferred with the prestigious “Kalaimamani” by Government of Tamil Nadu for the year 2018
  • Conferred with the “Nadanamamani” award by Karthik Fine Arts for the year 2010 – 2011
  • Won the Balasaraswathi Endowment Prize for the best Bharathanatyam performance at the 43rd Art and Pongal Dance Festival at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in 1999
  • Recipient of National Scholarship under the Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme initiated by the Center for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), New Delhi since 1990
  • Titled “Natya Ranjani” by Salangai Oli Trust in 2001
  • Titled “Natya Tharakai” by Salangai Oli Trust in 2001
  • Titled “Natya Mayuri” by Natyanjali Trust in 2006
  • Titled “Narthana Shironmani” by Salangai oli Trust in 2008
  • Titled “Swayam Prakasa Narthaki” by Sarasalaya during its Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 1999
  • Titled “Natyaperumagal – The Pride of Classical Dance” by Vanavil Kalai Maiyam, Coimbatore in 2011
  • Honoured with the Woman Achiever Award by Sri Ramakrishna Mission in 2003
  • Chosen as the Outstanding Young Citizen of Coimbatore by Cotton City Junior Chamber in 1992
  • Titled “Yuva Kala Ratna” by PSG & Sons’ Charities in 2016

Appreciation & Reviews

“Lavanya is a precocious child and one admired her unbelievable grasp of the technique.”
Sri. Subbudu in the Indian Express dated 31.12.1986
“It seems to me that Lavanya carries with her a divine grace. Her concentration is tremendous that an ordinary eight year old child cannot have. She has already established her skill in the arts. She would be an outstanding artiste in the years to come.”
Smt. Sudharani Raghupathy at Lavanya’s Performance
“Little Lavanya is petite, confident, and has a firm grip on tala, and her face capture fleeting emotions that are surely beyond her understanding. But what she really captures is the heart of her audience. Watching her Bharathanatyam is like seeing tittle wavelets in motion. Her footwork has a twinkling effect.”
Smt. V. R. Devika in “The Financial Express” dated 17-01-1988
“Lavanya has enormous courage and self-confidence to give a Bharathanatyam recital before an enlighted audience of this type. I have no doubt that she would blossom into an artiste of great repute.”
Sri. T. T. Vasu, Presidnet, Madras Music Academy at Lavanya’s performance in 1987
“The varnam “Mohamahinen” in Karaharapriya was notable for the grace with which the danseuse conducted herself. Lavanya’s quick-changing moods were captivating.”
Sunday Mail dated 28-07-1991
“Lavanya enthralled the audience through a judicious selection of numbers for presentation.. handled tough adavus with great ease and grace and her expressions were just superb.”
The Indian Express dated 06.09.2000
“Lavanya danced with confidence and proved a worthy choice. The time allotted to her was put to good use.”
Sri. T. S. Parthasarathy in The Indian Express dated 20-08-1997
“Lavanya is graceful dancer and has a charming stage presence.”
Smt. Nandhini Ramani in The Hindu dated 02.02.2001
“Lavanya gave a scholarly and informative lecture demonstration – The origin and aspects of Bharathanatyam. Lavanya’s spirited and enthusiastic depiction of rasa and demonstrations of padam, jawali, and thillana evoked all round appreciation.”
The Hindu dated 14.09.2001
“Lavanya Sankar exhibited admirable ability to infuse the necessary sheen into her Bharathanatyam. The lively performance comprised all the ingredients conforming to expected standards, right from the basic ardha mandi to advanced abinaya- neat and to taste.”
Sri. V. Nagaraj in The Hindu dated 2.11.2007
“Lavanya personifies grace, courage and dedication. Exponents of Bharathanatyam describe her performance as enthralling and precise.”
Sri. Alankar Bandyopadhyay in The New Indian Express dated 10.01.2002
“Lavanya Sankar….stood out for her neat lines and pleasant Bharatanatyam presentation. She succeeded in creating magic using the space. The balance with which she held posed was admirable. The musicians and Lavanya kept the audience in thrall. As a seasoned dancer, her solid grounding in dance from an early age under K.J. Sarasa has been a blessing and Lavanya did justice to her guru.”
Dr. Sunil Kothari in www.narthaki.com in 2017
“I have not seen a child like Lavanya perform so beautifully, so gracefully, and with so much of dedication at this little age for so many years. I sincerely feel that this child is born to dance”
Dr. Padma Subramaniam at Lavanya’s arangetram
“True to her guru, who loved drama and high energy, Lavanya’s performance was defined by her enthusiasm. From start to finish, she was uncompromisingly vigorous. It is laudable that the dancer’s footwork and timing were spot on, despite the racy pieces in the repertoire.”
Smt. Rupa Srikanth in The Hindu dated 29-12-2017
“LavanyaSankar’s bright stage presence, skilled Bharathanatyam and embellished movements created eye catching visuals. Lavanya established her credentials as a dancer of merit and as one who has evolved her individualistic expression. Her grasp of the intricacies in the tala structure could be discerned from the spot on execution of the jatis.”
Smt. Vidya Saranyan in The Hindu dated 11-01-2013
Others who have appreciated Lavanya’s performances include Sri. Seerkazhi Govindarajan, Smt. Vani Jayaram, Sri. Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Smt. Chitra Visweswaran, Sri. Narasimhachari, and Smt. Meenakshi Chittaranjan, among others.
“ When we veterans watch and observe the work of today’s youngsters like Lavanya, we realize that art is in the strong hands of a progeny who will carry it forward with pride. And by pride, I mean the involvement and appreciation of the great Indian culture.
Dr. Chitra Visweswaran at the 15th year celebrations of Abhyasa

Abhyasa

Abhyasa

Abhyasa, in Hinduism, is Spiritual Practice, which, along with Vairagya (or Spiritual Detachment), becomes the two core principles on which the entire system of Yoga, as prescribed by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, is based.

While general practice can be termed as Sadhana, Abhyasa goes beyond just practice and becomes an all-encompassing persistent effort to attain and maintain a state of physical, mental and spiritual tranquility.

Patanjali Maharishi, in his Yoga Sutras, mentions the three qualifications for Abhyasa as “for a long time”, “regular without interruptions”, and “with whole-hearted, passionate, and reverent devotion”. Lavanya’s dance school, Abhyasa, endeavours to instill in its students, through the medium of Classical Dance, these very qualities prescribed by Patanjali – rigorous self-discipline, persistence, and passionate application – traits that will help them focus their mind in all walks of life.

Founded in 2004 in Coimbatore, Abhyasa Academy of Classical Dance is committed to imparting to its students rigorous training in Bharathanatyam, thus encouraging them to achieve greater heights in the art form. While the emphasis is on the dance itself, students are also instructed on the various aspects of NatyaSastra, Bharathanatyam theory and Indian Culture in general. Students of Abhyasa perform at various events, either solo or in groups, and also participate in various lecture demonstrations and dance presentations with their Guru Smt. Lavanya.

Currently, over 200 students, starting from the age of 5, learn at Abhyasa. Over 20 of them have had their Arangetrams, and have started giving solo performances at dance festivals and Sabhas across India and even abroad. Students of Abhyasa are also encouraged to pursue the academic aspects of Bharathanatyam, and several of Abhyasa’s students have graduated in the Bachelors and Masters in Fine Arts programmes from various Universities. Many of the students have also completed various levels of the 6-stage diploma course, conducted by Prayathnam.

Abhyasa has three branches at Coimbatore, and conducts classes every day of the week in batches. Several of Abhyasa’s senior students have also been assigned as faculty at the dance school, after they are trained and certified through a faculty training module that Abhyasa has structured for its senior students, who are also interested in teaching.

Since 2010, Abhyasa has been conferring the title of “Abhyasa Nritya Vardhini”, each year during its annual event, to a Bharatanatyam dancer below the age of 40 who has not only achieved success in this art form through constant practice and dedication, but has also started imparting these core values to the younger generation. Several of the today’s well-known Bharathanatyam dancers are recipients of the award.

Abhyasa, during its annual event every year, also awards the Sundari Sankar Memorial Scholarship to a deserving and talented student of Bharathanatyam chosen from amongst the other dance schools of Coimbatore.

In 2019, Abhyasa inaugurated its aesthetically and acoustically designed dance studio, which now serves as its creative hub.  Special classes, choreography sessions, research activity, workshops and lecture-demonstrations take place at the Abhyasa Studio.

Abhyasa Productions

Abhyasa regularly conceives, choreographs, and presents various thematic dance productions and ballets at Sabhas, dance festivals, and other forums. These productions are the result of extensive research and are a combination of spell-binding dance compositions, enthralling music which is very often composed specifically for the production, aesthetic lighting, vivid costumes, and compering crafted specifically to suit the audience.

The productions of Abhyasa are presented as “Lavanya Sankar & The Abhyasa Ensemble”, many of which can be viewed on YouTube and other social media.

Some of the productions of Abhyasa are:

Dvitva – A 90-minute dance production that captures both the seeming duality of The Sun and The Moon, as well as their complementary nature to each other, in the absence of which life would be incomplete, nay, even absent.

Mokshadayini Gange – A dance presentation on the soul of India, the river Ganga, whose waters nurtures and nourishes all, whose very touch cleanses the worst sins of humankind, and whose very presence redeems a person from the endless cycle of rebirth and assures him of moksha.

Pancha Tattva – A dance presentation of the Pancha Bhuta Linga Kshetra Kritis of Sri Mathuswamy Dikshitar, composed on the five fundamental elements of nature – Fire, Ether, Water, Earth, and Air.

Ritotsava – A production celebrating the seasons, with excerpts from “Ritusamhara”, the masterpiece of the great Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa, as music, with various festivals of India celebrated across the seasons interwoven into it.

Kathamritam – A colourful production, perfect for a younger audience, drawing parallels between stories from the Puranas and stories from the fables like the Panchatantra.

Kundrakudi Kuravanji – A dance-drama combining classical and folk dance forms centering around the presiding deity of Kundrakudi, Lord Muruga.

Triloka Janani – A presentation based on compositions celebrating the Shakti that creates and manifests the three worlds – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

Pateeswararudan Oru Naal – A dance presentation that explores the innate Bhakti of the devotees of Lord Pateeswara at Perur through the daily routine activities they undertake as service to the Lord.

Pulane Punniya Porule – A thematic presentation on the five senses that a human being has been blessed with, and episodes portraying the contribution of theses senses to the attainment of gnana.

Nandalala – A vibrant production showcasing various incidents from the life of Lord Krishna, as an endearing child, as the eternal lover, and as the benefactor and protector,  while at Vrindavan.

Press Kit

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