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Ananda Shankar gets Kalaimamani award
Ananda Shankar Jayant is an officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) and is presently on deputation with the Andhra Pradesh government in Hyderabad. Yet, she finds time to pursue her career in classical dance forms like Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi and modern styles too.
She was in Chennai on November 25 to receive the prestigious Kalaimamani award of the Tamil Nadu government for her performances as a Bharata Natyam dancer.
Talking to Chennaionline, Ananda said, "It is a real honour to get the Kalaimamani award. It is an award which I will treasure, all the more so, since I am the first dancer from Andhra Pradesh to receive this award. Further, my joy knows no bounds as my guru Krishnaveni Laxman and senior dancer C V Chandrashekar are receiving it too. This will spur me to higher levels of excellence."
 The award was presented at the Kalaivanar Arangam by Governor P S Ramamohan Rao in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa.
She is a Tamilian but is virtually an Andhra Pradesh product having settled down there long ago. However, she cannot forget her days in Kalakshetra, Chennai. She speaks flawless Telugu and passes off as an Andhra Pradesh woman.
Ananda is today one of the top-ranking and well-known dancers of the country. She brings to her Bharata Natyam verve and vivacity, marked by split-second tala precision, coalescing with a dynamic and commanding stage presence.
She has been hailed as an intelligent and thinking dancer with contemporary sensibility, adapting technique to modern themes as seen in her choreography of solo, group and dance ballets, both traditional and modern.
 Known as an excellent choreographer, Ananda has directed and presented six path-breaking dance ballets including Sri Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum, Buddham Saranam Gachchami and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Her recent contemporary production, 'What about Me?' raised pertinent questions on gender issues and received kudos for choreography and aesthetics. It focussed on reactions of Sita and Draupadi as women. For instance, Draupadi tells the Pancha Pandavas, "You lost a game, but I've been immortalised in shame". It also deals with issues like discrimination against a girl child in society.
Some of her other recent works are 'Expressions of Truth' on the ideals of the Mahatma, and a mixed media work, An Easel Called Life, with paintings. She has also choeographed short dance works such as Dashavataram, Gitopadesa and
Shakti.
Her latest choreographic work 'Navarasa' (Expressions of Life) will be staged in Chennai for Karthik Fine Arts on December 16. She will also perform for the Krishna Gana Sabha on January 11 and Bharat Kalachar on Jan 12. Meanwhile, her solo performance is scheduled at the Music Academy in Chennai on December 30.
As to how she would cope with her busy schedule as an officer in Hyderabad and also perform in Chennai during the festival, Ananda said, "I have managed to fix my schedules according to the programmes drawn up by the sabhas in Chennai. I have not missed the annual music and dance festival in Chennai for years. It's not as if I will be here continuously for a month. I will be here may be three days in a week. It's only an overnight train journey from
Hyderabad."
 "My family has supported me right through. Initially, my mother (she is no more) encouraged me and later my husband, after my marriage. My family will be here for the music and dance season."
A challenging assignment that she had recently was choreography for the classical segment of the inaugural ceremony of the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad in October. "I worked with 130 dancers, some of them trained, some of them raw. I also had to train students", she said pointing out that the response was good.
On life in Hyderabad, she says there are not as many sabhas there but the few that exist encourage both Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi. "However, I travel quite a lot to dance in various national festivals."
She is a bit worried over the alienation of the youth from classical Indian forms of dance. "I run a school for classical dance in Hyderabad, and every year I train at least 20 girls in the Indian dance forms. However, there are so many girls who do not wish to learn. And even the ones I train, cannot sustain their interest as they pursue other careers or get married and forget about dance. I wish many more learn dance and continue to perform."
Despite this hectic schedule as a dancer and teacher, she takes her work with the Andhra Pradesh government seriously. She has onerous responsibilities as Director of Juvenile Welfare, Correctional Services and Welfare of Street Children in Hyderabad.
R Rangaraj
Published on 27th
Nov, 2003
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