Years of discipline and training pay off
Natleen Govender has graduated in the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam after years of training.
ALBERTON – Bharatanatyam Arangetram is a form of Indian classical dance originating from the Tamil Nadu temples.
The dance is made up of two components, nritta and abhinaya.
Nritta consists of pure dance steps; no story-telling or expression is present when performing.
Abhinaya is when steps are incorporated with gestures and facial expressions to tell traditional stories steeped in historical significance. Dancers can be male or female and can perform in groups or solo, depending on the story they are representing.
Traditional outfits are worn, with bells around the dancer’s ankles that are used to create percussion.
Learning the dance takes many years and students must complete the lengthy and rigorous training, usually under the mentorship of a single instructor or guru.
Alberton resident and university student Natleen Govender completed her training in the dance and performed for the first time in public on July 11.
Natleen began her training when she was five years old, learning with Shrimathi Sathya Bam, until she went to Durban to study marine biology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
During her studies she trained with Shrimathi Manoormani Akka, until her graduation, this year.
Natleen learned theoretical as well as technical aspects of the dance from her instructors.
Now that she has graduated as a Kumari, Natleen is able to perform publicly and give instruction in Bharatanatyam Arangetram if she chooses.
She stated her desire to teach the dance to others, like her older sister Dayleen, at the Palmridge Sri Siva Suramaniar Temple.
“Today is a culmination of many years of hard work and discipline; we are so pleased that she has persevered to achieve this milestone,” Natleen’s mother Shamila was proud to say at her graduation ceremony.
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