In conversation with two Shadhona Dancers

Written by: Mela

Posted on: Saturday 23rd of April 2016 04:05:23 PM

As a young artist, I believe in bonds and energies. I will tell my story soon, but I had to mention some aspiring young dancers before that.

Written by
Lamia Saiyara Mela, student at BRAC university, dancer at Shadhona and freelance writer/journalist


Having had the opportunity to be a part of Shadhona as a dancer for the past 4 years, I had grown inclined towards looking up to my dance teachers, colleagues and every member contributing to our work. Camaraderie arises from experiences- and glancing back, I had encountered some of the most incomparable ones through dance. Thus, I wanted my first blog to be about some of my colleagues and their stories.
Zuariyiah Mouli, student and dancer at Kolpotoru and Shadhona, has been an active member since 2012. Her first walk into the world of dance was at around the age 12, when she began taking dance lessons at Chayanaut under the Indian Classical Dance forms of Bharatnatyam and Manipuri. She confessed it was her mother who propelled her to begin dancing, and it has been quite a noticeable evolution she has had in terms of voicing her personal style as a Bharatnatyam dancer. Under the tutelage of Amit Chowdhury at Kolpotoru, an eminent Bharatnatyam dancer and teacher, she started forming a personal poise and integrity in her dancing that was visually demanding and executing the balance of stoic and momentum. In conversation, she explained how she would like to take up Bharatntaym academically, having already had graduated from Dhaka University where she studied Bachelors of Business Administration. Her goals and aspirations include seeing the dance scene in Dhaka submerge into its ultimatum, but through efforts within our culture and less from influences outside of it.

Shammy Akhter, student and dancer at Kolpotoru and Shadhona, has been an active member since about 6 years. Her introduction to the world of dance was through her mother, who enrolled her into BAFA dance academy in Dhaka at a tender age of 7. Later she was under the tutelage of Shishu Academy, and currently she has been a student of Kolpotoru, under the tutelage of Amit Chowdhury. Ever since she reigned her principle to be Bharatnatyam, she had only escalated her potentials and aims from where she graced to be the dancer she is today. Her ambitions always peeked its highest, as she is currently on her way to graduate her Bachelors in Architecture at Stamford University, Dhaka. Throughout her time studying, she had actively participated in national and international projects. Having had some remarkable experiences throughout her dance career, she had formed within herself the capability of radiating with an array of beaming energy when performing. Her style poises the desire to commute with her facial expressions, which transports to her body and combines the subtlety yet finesse Bharatnatym projects. Her take on the evolving dance scene in Dhaka is to be true to culture and heritage, yet being open to exploring and accepting changes and modern ideas.

Both the dancers had performed in Kolkata’s annual dance event ‘Stars of Tomorrow’, where they performed independently and marked themselves as two of the young expertise of Bharatnatyam in our country.

---

---