Suparna A.S. is a woman on a mission. She wants to bring Kerala Natanam, a dance she is passionate about, to a wide audience.
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“Kerala Natanam is a new dance form that has evolved from Kathakali and other dance forms of Kerala. It uses simple language for rendition, identifiable themes and captivating music to attract the audience. Although the number of students learning Kerala Natanam has increased, the dance is not that popular outside the state. I hope to change that,” says Suparna, who has won several competitions in Kerala Natanam.
The dance, according to Suparna, is not easy and requires rigour.
“The Kathakali influence can be seen in the music and the steps. Although the costume reminds one of Mohiniyattam, unlike the golden-bordered dress worn by Mohiniyattam dancers, here, the borders are colourful. The hairstyle is slightly different too – the bun is towards the front.”
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Coming from a family that loves dance, Suparna, who has learnt most of the Indian classical dance forms, started learning Kerala Natanam from Vinayachandran six years ago. The 19-year-old says it was her mother, Saraswathy, who ignited her interest in dance.
“I was born to dance. My mother is a dance teacher. She taught us the basics of dance. My eldest sister, Sowparnika, is learning Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra and my elder sister, Aparna, is focussing on Mohiniyattam. Although my brothers are dancers, they are now concentrating on their careers,” says the youngster, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in vocation (software development) at Mar Ivanios College.
She will be performing Kerala Natanam with Aparna on Saturday. “The dance recital will be like a kutcheri. There will be a Ganapathi sthuthi, a padam, a jathiswaram… duet and solo performances,” says Suparna. She plans to assist Sowparnika when she opens a dance school upon completion of her course at Kalakshetra. “I hope to hold classes in Kerala Natanam there. Right now, I hold dance classes at home.”
Suparna’s recital is at 6.30 p.m. on July 16 at Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan.