Five of our dance teachers and many of their students will be presenting together a program which is the result of several workshops conducted for students and teachers. This program will give them all the opportunity to work together and further hone their skills as they practice and perform together.

“Dhvani Performing Arts Society of Central Ohio is known for bringing well-reputed artists to perform in our area, much to the delight of local audiences. For the past few years, Dhvani has also provided unique opportunities to local dance teachers and their students, in the form of workshops with visiting artists of the highest caliber. Professor CV Chandrashekhar and his wife Jaya Chandrashekhar worked with the local teachers, to teach them a Jatiswaram and an off-beat (Ussi) Alarippu. The process left us with aching bodies and a renewed attention to form and practice.

Viraja and Shyamjith Kiran, a dynamic husband and wife duo, trained at Kalakshetra, delighted us with their performance and punished us (in the best possible way) with workshops for teachers and students. They taught the teachers a unique Thillana in Ragam Natabhairavi about Kalakshetra’s founder, Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, as well as a kirtanam about the River Ganga. The students worked on a shabdam, Aayer Sheriyar, and a kirtanam, Vidai Meedil with the artists. Exercises, adavus, and shlokams rounded out the intensive experience.”

Preethi Ramprasad is a US based artist, who presented a special performance in 2019. A few years ago, she conducted a workshop for Silambam. She was also back last year with her colleagues to present Mitra; a new margam conceptualized especially for Dhvani.

The dance teachers and students of Columbus look forward to presenting what we have learned at the program in April.