She was one of the top 10 finalists at Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana Festival, 2015 and a finalist at the Hidden Idol 2016, which reflected her determination to make a mark in the field of dance. Shruti Parthasarathy, a student of Middleton High School, Wisconsin, U.S., has been learning Bharatanatyam from the age of five.
Observing her strong points, her teacher Medha Hari had selected a repertoire high on brisk, energetic movements.
The first half of her performance at The Music Academy recently focused on Anjaneya and Muruga, deities who are symbols of power.
Beginning with a Kavuthuvam on Anjaneya, composed by P. R. Venkatasubramanian, Shruti’s hardwork came through in the piece.
The varnam, ‘Kolamayil Vahanane’ in Shanmukhapriya, composed by Madurai N. Krishnan, captured the essence. Shruti depicted the many moods of Muruga beautifully.
She continued the recital with an Annamacharya padam in Nattai on Lord Raghurama followed by ‘Hariharane Needham’, composed by Ambujam Krishna in Ragamalika. Both were based on bhakti, which made the second half monotonous.
The performance ended with a thillana in Sindhu Bhairavi composed by Oothakadu Venkata Kavi. In the clarity of her movements, Shruti showed promise as an artist.
All the pieces were choreographed by Anita Guha, Medha Hari’s guru, who was also present at the performance.
On the nattuvangam was Medha Hari, along with an experienced orchestral team comprising Nandini Anand (vocals), Ramshankar Babu (mridangam), Muruganandan (violin) and Sruti Sagar (flute), who gave excellent support to the young dancer.
