Bharatha Natyam recital by Kalaimamani Bala Devi Chandrashekar

The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), High Commission of India, Colombo, will be organising an evening of Bharatha Natyam recital by Kalaimamani Bala Devi Chandrashekar on 20 December at 6 p.m. at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre auditorium, 16/2 Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7. 

Bala Devi Chandrashekar is a Bharatanatyam exponent, research scholar, and a passionate committed teacher of Bharatanatyam. Bala, through her classical dance, strives to interpret ancient philosophical and spiritual concepts and presents in a classicism that is always contemporary in interpretation and communicates across cultures. All her productions are accompanied by world class music. 

Bala Devi started her initial training under Guru Jayalakshmi Narayanan in Hyderabad, and then went on to learn from Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam in Chennai. Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam has awarded the titles “Bharatha Nritya Seva Mani” and “Nrtyasali – completed course in 108 Karanas” to Bala Devi Chandrashekar. 

Extremely passionate about teaching, and as a Professor of Practice, and as the Artistic Director of SPNAPA Academy of Performing Arts, Princeton, New Jersey, Bala Devi Chandrashekar imparts valuable knowledge to her many dedicated students. Bala constantly works on developing and perfecting the style that would be seamless and fluid while yet retaining the precision, power and purity of line – typical of classical dance.  Bala is one of the few Bharatha Natyam artists worldwide to have released eight critically acclaimed dance production based on her extensive research. They are: Nandanar Charithram, MLV favorites, Krishna Arpanam, Uddhava Gita – Lord Krishna’s last message, Vishwam – The Omnipresent, Tripura – Divine Feminine, Karna – Destiny’s Child, and Brihadeeswara – Form to formless through the eyes of a Devaradiyal. 

All of these works are accompanied by world class music and have been produced in digital format. Over the last 25 years, Bala Devi have given more than 500 performances across 30 countries. 

In a very rare honour, on 28 June 2018, the UNESCO head office in Paris hosted her latest production – “Brihadeeswara – form to formless, through the eyes of a Devaradiyal – a temple dancer”. This show is based on the 1,000-year-old Brihadeeswara temple Thanjavur. The show was received with critical acclaim by over 500 members in the audience comprising of ambassadors, delegates and local connoisseurs of art.