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"A star is born"……. Sulakshana Jayaram, has been hailed thus following her recital for the India Habitat Center, Delhi. '…The clean lines of the dance etched by her limbs(angasudham) were matched by her undoubted talent and palpable commitment which shone through. Incidentally, 'Sulakshana' means one with beautifully defined features, when this is matched by the finesse of her dance it is truly an elevating experience'. Impeccable footwork and angashuddham, flawless execution of adavus and an internalized, absorbed rendition of various bhavas and sancharis blend with harmonious synchrony into perfect unison in her dance. Her foray into the world of Bharatnatyam was at the tender age of five under the guidance of Guru: Smt.Sushila of Kalamandalam, Kerala. Thereafter, under the tutelage of Guru Shri: Pandanallur Sreenivasa Pillai and Smt: Indira Rajan she trained in the Pandanallur style, known for intricate Jati sequences and Korvai patterns. Her mother Smt.Shanta jayaram, a trained Hindustani classical vocalist, has been her constant guide and truest companion through this wondourous journey of dance that, Sulakshana had then embarked on and has eversince been alongside her while she explores the majesty and beauty of the dance form.  Sulakshana is an empanelled artiste with the ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations). As a ten year old Sulakshana had her debut 'Arangetram' on the 15th of September 1989 in the august presence of 'Queen of song' Smt: M.S Subbulakshmi Amma and late Shri Sadavasivam. Following the recital in appreciation of Sulakshana's prodigious talent, an overwhelmed Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi in a spontaneous gesture draped 10 year old Sulakshana with her own brocade shawl and blessed the artiste. Since then, she has performed for various premier Music and Dance festivals of India. As an 11-year-old she was blessed to perform on the inaugural day of the Natyanjali Music and Dance Festival, conducted in Chidambaram, considered a mecca for the Indian Dancers, where it is believed that the Lord of Dance the great Shiva in the awe inspiring manifestation as 'Nruthyamurthi' dances the Aananda Tandavam. Sulakshana's performances have been acclaimed and heralded as exceptional by critics and connoisseurs alike. In an expression of appreciation of her skill over the art form an art connoisseur wrote of 12 year old Sulakshana's dance '….. Her beautiful rhythmic movements to the tunes simply enthralled the audience. For one so young she exhibits remarkable empathy in abhinaya and brings out the true spirit and meaning of the sahitya. There is no doubt that she will scale astounding heights in the field of Bharatnatyam in a short time…..' In a dance career spanning two decades so far she has given over 75 solo recitals. Notable being the recitals for .~. The Spirit of Unity Concerts 1998 .~. Mamallapuram dance Festival, Tamilnadu Tourism - 1999, 2001, 2004 .~. Narayanateertha Festival 2001 .~. South Zone Cultural Festival, Thanjavur 2001 .~. India Habitat Centre 2001, New Delhi .~. Alliance Francaise and the Chinmaya Centre 2001, New Delhi .~. The Nishagandhi Music and Dance Festival 2002, Trivandrum. .~. Inaugural dance for the 'Shivarathri' Festival "Sarigamapadani" Sabha, Coimbatore, 2002 .~. "Nritya Sandhya" for the "Alladia Nritya Samaroh" at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal 2002, under the auspices of Baba Alladia Khan Academy .~.Vedic Heritage, Pandit Jasraj Auditorium, NewYork, 2003 .~. The Natyanjali Dance Festival, 2004 She had the rare privilege and blessing of being invited by His holiness Swami Sidda Bodda Nanda to give a dance rendition in the ashram of His Holiness Sri Poojya Swami Dayanada Saraswati at Annaikati, Coimbatore after he witnessed her dance recital at the Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara temple organized as part of the South zone cultural festival, 2000. Swami Sri Dayanand Saraswati blessed the artiste saying, '……She is a gifted person and also highly committed to classicism. Many talented people do no find the art absorbing due to lack of commitment. There are a lot of committed people who do no have the natural gift of talent. Sulakshana has the commitment to her art and also has the gift of talent in abundance. I feel she is going to be not just a beneficiary but a contributor to her art….' Her recent debut beyond the frontiers of India, in New york, November 2003 was applauded and hailed as '..outstanding and simply mesmerising' by Her Holiness Gurumaa and Stalwart Musicians and Legends of Indian Music in the persons of Pandit Shri Jasraj, Shri Vikku Vinayak Ram, Shri Buddhaditya Mukherji and Smt Prabha Atre. Having trained in the Pandanallur School of Bharatnatyam for about 20 years, Sulakshana has matured into a vibrant artiste working on choreography and technique. Sulakshana is a graded Doordarshan Artiste and has been the recipient of the Cultural Talent Scholarship awarded by the Department of HRD, Govt. of India continuously from 1989 to 1998. While adhering to authentic Pandanallur tradition Sulakshana's exploration and discovery of this medium of art is replete with constant inquiry and experimentation. She has participated in a Western Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance Workshop conducted by the renowned French artiste Patrick-Gleyse. Sulakshana has also been a part of a workshop on Modern Dance technique conducted by Jaan Freeman, USA. She has trained in Carnatic Vocal music with Sri Rajagopalan, Chennai . Besides being an ardent Bharatnatyam Artiste, she is also enrolled in the State Bar Council of Tamilnadu as an Advocate. |
