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Round 4 (2002-2003) Award Recipients

Apprenticeship Guidelines and Application

Other Apprenticeship Rounds

Round 5 (2004-2005)

Round 3 (2001-2002)

Round 2 (2000-2001)

Round 1 (1999-2000)

One of the seven classical dance forms of India, bharata natyam is representative of the culture of the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern Indian. Although it originated as part of worship rituals within the temples and was danced by temple dancers known as devadasis, today the dance form has evolved to become a concert art form. Ramaa Bharadvaj has immersed herself in this dance form her entire life, having started dancing at the age of four when she was taken as a student by the bharata natyam guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai in Chennai, India. Her life here in California is committed to preserving this dance for coming generations.

In pursuit of this goal, Ramaa will work this year mentoring her apprentice Shivali Panchal in the art of teaching dance to younger students.

Shivali Panchal, Apprentice

 

	Ramaa (left) and Shivali (right) meet twice weekly at Ramaa’s home studio where they train for about three hours preparing a series of solo Bharata Natyam dances for presentation at a performance later in the year. Their weekly sessions also include teacher training for Shivali.
Regarding the preparation of Shivali as a teacher Ramaa says, “The journey to mastering an art form begins only when you teach; only when you share your technique as well as your knowledge—it's like sharpening a knife, but then teaching is a great responsibility that requires that you have acquired some mastery yourself ... quite a catch 22 isn't it? I guess what I am trying to do here with Shivali is getting her started on that enigmatic journey towards mastery. She shows both an aptitude and thirst for it.”
	After a lapse of a couple of years in a quest “to find herself,” Shivali has recommitted herself to Bharata Natyam. Now she realizes how central it is to her life. “ I feel like dance is my right arm. When I wasn’t doing it, I was just always depressed. I would always question myself. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I felt like wasn’t growing as an individual. I just felt stuck… And so I finally figured out that I needed to start dance again. Dance was my foundation, was who I was.”
Shivali Panchal (left) and Ramaa Bharadvaj (right)

ACTA Archives, photos by Mary MacGregor-Villarreal

Visit Ramaa Bharadvaj's website

 

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