Studio brings fusion of dance styles to stage
Tala Shruti dancers perform modern dance, ballet, Bharatanatyam
BY MARY ANNE ROSS
Correspondent

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Ballerinas Laura Vendetta and Christine Bragg from the Tala Shruti School of Dance rehearse a show called "The Dance of Destiny: Mime, Myth and Modernism" with Bharatanatyam dancers in Woodbridge.

Classical Indian dance will be merged with modern American dance Sunday on the stage of New Brunswick's State Theatre.

The Tala Shruti School of Dance, Fords section of Woodbridge, will present "Dance of Destiny: Mime, Myth and Modernism."

Students from the studio, previously based in East Brunswick, will present an eclectic set of dances featuring traditional Bharatanatyam and modern American dance and ballet during the show, which begins at 4 p.m. They will be accompanied by guest artists with training in ballet and modern dance.

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form developed in Southern India. It was originally performed in the temples as a form of worship.

"In Bharatanatyam, every part of your body - your eyes, your legs, your hands, your arms, your feet - have to be in a certain position to represent a particular emotion, or god or thing. It's almost like a form of sign language," said Christine Bragg, a professionally trained ballet and modern dancer studying Bharatanatyam at the Tala Shruti School of Dance.

In Sanskrit, the word "tala" means rhythm, and "shruti" is melody.

The Tala Shruti School of Dance, which opened in August, has between 75 and 100 students.

"The rooms are just beautiful," said Bragg, who also teaches there. "Each room has a different color scheme. [Artistic Director] Renuka [Srinivasan] has imported art work from India to decorate the rooms. It is really more of an art house than a studio."

That attention to detail and eye for art and beauty is characteristic of Srinivasan, the driving force behind the school. So is respect for tradition and the spiritual underpinnings of Bharatanatyam.

"I believe that any art form is a gift from God, and when we perform it, it is our way of giving back to God," Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan studied dance in India at the Madras Music School. She lived in London for four years and worked as a professional makeup artist and part-time dancer. She has been living in the U.S. for 18 years. For a while she was a stay-at-home mom raising her two sons, but she never gave up dancing and was often asked to do workshops at various universities.

In 1995, she began teaching formal classes, starting with six students in a basement. Gradually her classes grew and she opened studios in East Brunswick and Bridgewater before permanently settling at the current location.

"It takes seven or eight years before a student can fully understand the depths of the dance," she said. She works to instill a sense of beauty and reverence for the art form in her students.

Shilpa Guha, 16, a junior at East Brunswick High School, is one of those students.

"When I dance, it makes me feel really beautiful," she said. "My mother never had the opportunity to dance, so she really loves watching me. In a way I feel she is dancing through me."

Shilpa will be going through a graduation ceremony, called the Arangetram, in July. The ceremony includes a solo performances that lasts three hours. The ritual is steeped in religious tradition.

Another student is Deepa Gulrajan, a 17-year-old senior at East Brunswick High School who intends to study pharmacy in college. Deepa, who has been practicing Bharatanatyam for seven years, plans to graduate in August.

"I really like the dance because it's one of our traditions and it's a good way to exercise. It teaches a lot about our culture and religion," she said.

Madhoo Rao, a 12-year-old student at Churchill Junior High School in East Brunswick, became involved after her mother, Shakun Rao, took her to a family friend's Arangetram.

"She was inspired and wanted to learn," Shakun said of her daughter. "I studied this art when I was young and I was always fascinated with it, so I was very supportive. The teacher is wonderful, very creative and encouraging of the girls."

Venkata Nanduri said his daughter, Aparna, was also inspired by watching other dancers. Aparna, 14, has been studying the art for about seven years.

"She enjoys it," he said. "She goes to class once a week and then practices at home."

According to Srinivasan, many

Asian Indian schools of dance are incorporating Western stylings into their performances.

"Many people feel that they can watch Western dance and then just add some of those elements," she said. But Srinivasan feels it's important to truly understand the dance and the culture in which it developed. That is why she looks for an expert when trying to learn another dance form.

"I am studying the Tango now with a national champion. In order to create a fusion of different styles of dance, you need to collaborate with someone who is truly an expert."

Bragg found that expert very close to home.

"I was tutoring Renuka's children, and she began telling me about Bharatanatyam. I was really fascinated," said Bragg, who is on the faculty of the American Ballet Company. She began studying with Srinivasan, and eventually began teaching at the school.

"Dance of Destiny: Mime, Myth and Modernism" is a good example of the pair's work together. The show is produced and choreographed by Srinivasan, and the first segment features classical Bharatanatyam. The second will have elements of modern dance and ballet choreographed by Bragg.

"The America dance forms are skillfully woven into Indian contemporary dance," she said.

Tala Shruti Dance Studio, located at 14 Corrielle St., can be found on the Web at www.talashruti.com.

Tickets for the show are available at the State Theatre at (732) 246-SHOW or online at www.statetheatrenj.org.