Nrityanjali School of Dance Holds Bharatnatyam Performance

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Students of the New York City-based Nrityanjali School of Dance performed May 26, to a packed auditorium at Queens High School of Teaching.

Chief guests at the event included Taruna Chakravorty, wife of India’s Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty, and former Nassau County Deputy Comptroller Dilip Chauhan.

Under the guidance of their guru, Chandra Banerjee, the  artistic director and founder of Nrityanjali, the students showed their potential with creative numbers including ‘Sadhna’-the traditional Bharatnatyam segment dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Dressed in the traditional dance outfits, more than 40 students performed Angikam Bhuvanam, Shivastakam, Natesha Kautuvam, Natanam Adinar, and Shiva Tandava.  Ardha Narishwara, a very challenging and  complex classical dance presented by a duo of senior students “left the audience spellbound” according to a press release from organizers.

The ‘Prithibi Tomake Chaye’ (The World Wants You), Contemporary Dance segment, featured a dance drama based on the struggle faced by civilians of Bengal, both from India and Bangladesh after the British left the Subcontinent. Banerjee choreographed this 40-minute segment using  serene creative movements and colorful costumes and lighting.

Koushik Ahmed, founder of Weekly Bangalee, presented Banerjee with the Citation of Honor from New York City Councilmember Barry Grodenchick recognizing her dedication and creative endeavors in dance and the arts. The Chief guests also presented certificates of accomplishment to Nrityanjali students.