Budding Dancer Harini dazzles in Chennai Festival Season
Harini Indrakrishnan, disciple of Smt. Subathra Sudarshan (a senior disciple of the legendary Dhananjayans of Chennai) of Bharathakala Natya Academy of Atlanta, is a foremost new generation Bharatanaatyam dancer in the U.S. As a second place winner (15-18 age category) at the April 2012 Cleveland Thygaraja Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, Harini earned a wonderful opportunity to perform in Chennai’s music and dance festival season. Her first solo, on December 29th 2012, was held at Krishna Temple, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai at the Chennai Festival. The second, the next day at Hamsadhwani’s 18th Annual NRI Festival at the Youth Hostel, Adyar, Chennai, was jointly presented by Hamsadhwani and Bharathakalanjali (the Dhananjayans).
Her central dance depicted the woman Kannagi in the epic Silapathikaaram (100-300CE). This piece was specifically composed for Harini. Harini was commended by the critical Chennai audience for her spontaneity and vivaciousness of her facial expressions, crisp and precise footwork, her graceful poses, her deep aramandi for her perfection, joy of her dance, and her captivating stage presence.
Present were the children and founders of Mahalakshmi Foundation, a home for abandoned children in Chennai for which Harini had worked as a dancer and as youth council secretary for the fundraiser “Kalpavriksha – The Giving Tree” (Third Eye Dancers, Sept. 2012).
Upon her return, Harini, a junior at Woodward Academy, won first place at the Women’s Regal Eagle Talent Show held at her school. Later, she danced at Panai Nilam Tamil Sangam in Charleston, SC for their Pongal Vizha. There Dr. Dhandapani, President of Federations of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA), awarded her the title “Nrithiya Tharakai” for her perseverance in learning and portraying Tamil compositions through Bharatanaatyam at a young age.
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