South Indian Dancers Impress at the Library

They are lacrosse players and honors students, peer tutors and swimmers. They edit school newspapers and participate in science Olympiads at schools in Syosset, Jericho and Half Hollow Hills. They dance hip hop and play violin.

But it was one highly specialized activity that brought six Long Island high school students to the on Jan. 30 -- Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, two classical Indian dance forms taught to them by Guru Satya Pradeep.

In a nearly two-hour recital, organized in conjunction with Long Island Traditions, Pradeep’s students drew a capacity audience to share a rare opportunity to witness a wonderfully colorful activity that is steeped in ancient culture.

How ancient? “This is a 2000 year old tradition,” Pradeep said. Not quite so ancient on Long Island, of course. “I’ve been teaching it 18 years here on Long Island,” she added.

In fact, Pradeep is a well-known New York area Classical Indian dancer and choreographer. Satya She has conducted many lecture demonstrations and workshops at the Long Island Yoga Association, Long Island High School for the Arts, at Residential Facilities, for the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, and at various Public and Private Schools in the New York area. One of her presentations at an elementary school in Long Island, as part of their multi-cultural celebrations in Long Island, was covered by Channel 7’s Eyewitness News.

It was in 1993 that she established her dance school, Nritya Saagaram, here on Long Island. “Many of my students have gone on to college and careers, or to raise families,” she noted. “These are my senior students at the library today.”

Performers on the day included Sriya Bhumi (Wheatley School), Sonia Joshi (Jericho), Lekhi Gandhi (Half Hollow Hills East) and Syosset HS’s Swathi Anand, Nikita Maddineni and Deepika Pradeep.

Since the time they were little, all six have been studying dance forms that originate in the South Indian States of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh -- though Guru Pradeep herself was born in the Southern Indian province of Chennai (formerly known as Madras).

For all the exotic complexity to those who’ve never been exposed to the, there are basic differences between the two dance forms presented at the recital.

In Bharatanatyam, said Pradeep, the poses are somewhat sculptureque while in Kuchipudi, they are more rounded poses. “Linear geometrical patterns, a perfect balance of the body, eloquence of expression, and precision of footwork to intricate mathematical rhythms are the hallmarks of these dance forms,” Guru Pradeep explained.

What joins them is the fact that both traditional dance forms have origins steeped in Indian divinity -- dances in this genre act out stories about Gods and Goddesses from Indian mythology, folk tales and stories with emotional content.

The recital followed a traditional pattern, opening with an introductory “Mallari,” in which all the dancers performed ensemble at three different speeds; and a concluding “Thillana,” a brisk and upbeat group dance with exuberant joy and intricate rhythmic variations.

In between were four other performances -- including two performed by Pradeep, and the Kuhipudi styled “Tarangam,” in which Bhumi performed a story about Lord Krshna stealing butter from a housewife, and being chased away.

For all the expressiveness and story-telling quality of the dances, it was a combination of costume and focused intensity on the part of the students played an important role in the charismatic character and success of the afternoon. But there were some acrobatic fireworks to enjoy as well -- particularly when the 17 year old Bhumi balanced on a brass plate, while balancing a pot full of water on her head.

Because of the size of the crowd and the seating configuration, the dancers had to perform along a long, narrow strip in front of the audience, which presented some challenges for Pradeep, she admitted. “There was no stage but I knew that was what I was getting into,” the dance teacher said. “It was very tight for our formations and constant movement, which is well appreciated with enough distance from the audience. But it was a nice experience for everybody, and quite personal. The kids enjoyed it.”

The next recital for the group is coming up at Westbury Public Library in April.

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