Bharatanatyam exponent Malavikka Sarukkai was honoured with the title ‘Nritya Peroli’ at the 19th Natya Darshan Conference, organised by Kartik Fine Arts on Friday.
Ms. Sarukkai, on accepting the award, said classical dance is a gift, both precious and vulnerable. It must therefore be nurtured and supported, for it represents the critical heritage of India, and requires a conducive ecosystem to survive and flourish.
Janaka Pushpanathan, director, south India, British Council Division, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, said, “Art, be it music or dance, lends a great sense of discipline when you learn it. Art teaches you how to view things and also gives you a definition of who you want to be.”
Other artistes who were honoured on the occasion included Bharatanatyam exponent Varsha Sankar with the title ‘Natya Chudar’; Padmalaksshme Suresh with the Nrityajothi Award of Excellence; and Mohiniyattam exponent Gopika Varma with the Madura Kalamani Award. President of Kartik Fine Arts K.M. Narasimhan and chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Shekhar Sen were among those who spoke at the event.
