Welcome to Cine Fashion | Bharata Natyam Competition

Welcome to Cine Fashion Bharata Natyam Competition 2008

There was much anticipation in the air as family, friends and supporters filled up the pleasantly decorated venue to take their seats for this annual cultural extravaganza. With lights flooding the stage and the audience all seated, the emcee for the night, the ever popular THR Maran, took his place on the stage to take over the show in his charismatic style.

As their names were announced each judge went up the stage before being escorted to their respective seats, all looking resplendent in traditional south Indian sarees and kurtas. As soon as the ten judges had taken their places, the opening act was performed by the six member group, Sri Rengganathar Dance Academy from Klang.

The competition then got under way. Aswini Jagathisan, Dhanya Sree Sasikumar, Jisintha Abirami Sukumar, Kokilavani Tharumalingam, Preethi R. Nair Kumar Nair, Shaminee Loganathan, Sornam Seela Peremal, Vigneswaran Sundaram, Vivekanandhan Sivarajah and Yogadarsani Perumal certainly brought life to the mythological literature represented by their choice of song.

While the dancers seemed totally dedicated to the task at hand, the judges scrutinized every nimble gesture of the limb, the interpretation of the music, the costumes, accessories, make up and overall presentation. The audience was simply spellbound by the performances but the gurus of course watched their respective proteges more intensely.

The Cine Fashion Bharata Natyam Competition 2008 was as usual supported by a very strong panel of judges comprising Miss Varsha, Natya Sironmany Shamala Sekhar, Prof Dr. Aruna Gopinath, Bharatha Nrithya Priya Vinosree Shangkar, Guru Sri Ravi Maniam, Dr. Amirtha Devi Sakathevan, Sri Ganesan, Natya Mamani Malligah Perumal and Shrimathi Dhevi Maheswaran.

Each erudite and possessing remarkable pedigree in the Bharatha Natyam field, they presided over the competition focused and professional. As soon as marks were given to a contestant the score sheet from each judge was taken away for tabulation. After the fifth contestant had finished her turn, Maran invited the editor of Cine Fashion Ms Selvii to give a

speech. Excerpts from her speech:

“The mesmerizing Bharata Natyam may have its roots in Tamil Nadu India, but it is no less practiced, valued or revered in many other parts of the world, including here in Malaysia. The Bharata Natyam scene in Malaysia has come a very long way and for much of the advancement that we see today of this ancient Indian art, the credit goes to the dedication and hard work of the many remarkably talented teachers, dance schools and students that we’ve had.

It makes me very proud to think that this event continues to be an important platform for enthusiastic Bharata Natyam exponents to showcase their skills. I am glad to see that as usual the spirit of competition is high because these dancers, like all their peers, have made many sacrifices from a young age to get to where they are today.

Unfortunately the luxury of being a professional Bharata Natyam dancer is not there for many and it was this fact that spurred us to organize the Cine Fashion Bharata Natyam competition on an annual

basis. It was our intention to open the door to any sufficiently talented dancer with the opportunity to perform for such a large audience as this.

As with students sitting for an examination, this too is just a stage to show all that you have studied over the years. To the ten finalists today and future participants I want to stress that you should approach this competition with a sense of enjoyment and wanting to learn from the constructive feedback

that you receive from not only our esteemed judges but also your peers. Remember, we learn new things all the time.

Please know that we all understand that you will be performing under tremendous pressure not just in front of such a large live audience but also to a national audience when the show is aired on TV soon. Like in any competition not all will go home with a trophy but EVERYONE can go home with great pride and dignity.

Our general aim ought to be to enhance the status of the Bharata Natyam, which can only be achieved if all of us are willing to work together. It will be unfortunate if we allow failure or loss to lead to destructive behaviour. To the doubters and skeptics I have only one thing to say-allow our heritage to flourish-you need not contribute, at least do not hamper what others are doing.”

Ms Selvii in her speech also thanked the sponsors Astro for having supported the cause from the very beginning and STC caterers for their kindness. Once all ten finalists had performed, they had to congregate backstage to await the results. In the midst of the prolific judges, dance gurus, fellow dancers and a discerning audience, they were naturally jittery, knowing how close they were to potential stardom. All graciously acknowledged that they were not going to be overly affected by the outcome as they were contented with the opportunity to put to test the years of dedication, toil, devotion, sacrifices and even mockery [in the case of male dancers].

It wasn’t long before the tokens of appreciation were handed to the judges and all nine finalists were called on to the stage once again. As everyone waited with bated breath, Maran increased the intensity by dropping hints before each winners name was announced.

The third prize was won by Mrs Sornam Seela Peremal, second place went to Kokilavani Tharumalingam and the Cine Fashion Bharata Natyam Competition 2008 winner was adjudged to be Vigneswaran Sundaram. To loud applause and cheers, the winner’s showed off their prizes as the curtain came down on yet another successful year.

PROF DR ARUNA GOPINATH, JUDGE
I’m glad to see that all the contestants have made great efforts to improve themselves tremendously from the preliminary round. If there’s one thing I’d like to tell budding dancers out there, it’s about the importance of humility when they go on stage. Throw away every ounce of arrogance that you may wittingly or unwittingly possess. Your presentation must fit the bill of a complete performer-your personality must shine, there must be finesse, the use of right gestures and a lot of grace.

ANDREA AMELINCKX, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES, UNI OF LETHBRIDGE, CANADA
This has been a wonderful experience for us and I’m amazed at the way this competition has been organized. It’s been an evening of rich cultural exposure for all of us, which must certainly be continued. I think Cine Fashion is doing a remarkable job in enriching the Indian cultural scene in Malaysia.

HANUSA DEVI, WINNER 2006
I thought it was a very close competition as all the contestants appeared equally good. The standard of performers has certainly improved as can be seen from their enthusiasm. Since my win I’ve managed to conduct my own classes as well as perform in some private functions. I’ve also arranged my own shows.

SRI ANAND,VICKNESWARAN’S GURU
He practiced so hard that he overstrained his legs but that’s Vikneswaran’s dedication. The choice of a fast number on Lord Shiva allowed him to display greater variety of movements.

Bharata Natyam 2008

What did the winners have to say?
Naturally they were most grateful to their teachers for their limitless contributions, family and friends. Gratitude was also overwhelming for Cine Fashion.

	Vigneswaran Sundaram, 28 I am the last child in a family of nine children so you can imagine the kind of support I had for the night from just my family alone! They were so confident of me that my sisters and sisters in law even bought flowers in advance although I told them not to. The pressure to perform was really high as all the others were such good dancers. In addition I am a dance teacher myself with my own students so I could not let anyone down. I’m so proud to have won as I’ve worked so hard and spent sleepless nights. I owe it all to my teacher Guru Sri Anand who gave me so much of intense training, motivation and encouragement.

	KOKILAVANI THARUMALINGAM, 21 Of course I was very nervous and anxious but at the same time I also had some level of confidence with my performance. I owe it to my dance teachers Ms Krishnakumari and Mrs Sharmile Rex, my current teacher, for moulding me into what I am today. My special thanks goes to them as well as my parents Mr Tharumalingam Kandiah and Mrs Devaki Sinnasamy and my college friend Amelia. I must add that dance has never been a hindrance in anyway; rather, like yoga it’s always given me peace of mind. Once I’ve completed my diploma in accountancy I may be off abroad to complete my degree but this memory will live with me. Thank you Cine Fashion.

	SORNAM SEELA PERUMAL, 30 At my age and being married with 2 children, I really didn’t think I could come this far. I owe a lot to my husband Parmeswaran as well as my family members for all their support. Everyone came to spur me on not just on the finals night but also throughout my participation in this event. My special thanks also goes to my guru, Master Krishnan of Segambut. I never expected this to happen at this age but I am thankful to everyone for giving me this wonderful experience. As a dance teacher myself I will now ensure that my students also get the same opportunity in the future.