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Reachout's Newsmaker
V.K. Rishika
Little kids’s little Wonder
Just ten, V.K. Rishika is already a veteran of over a forty Bharatnatyam
stage performances.
Hyderabad,
August'04: A student of Class VI, St. Ann’s High School,
Tarnaka, little Baby V.K. Rishika started learning Bharatnatyam at
the age of four, under the guidance of guru Abhinaya Kala Ratna
Geetha Ganesan of Uttaraa Centre For Performing Arts. It was in
the year 2001 Rishika accidentally chanced upon witnessing a dance
performance and had showed immediate inclination for the same.
Gradually, her fascination for the art form grew with every
sensation. "For me, Bharatanatyam is a way of life and
_expression, performing this dance invigorates me and I love the
adulation that comes my way. This just makes me go on and on",
says the child artiste with a maturity beyond her years.
She joined Uttaraa Centre and has ever since been an important
part of the Uttaraa troupe. Within a year, under the guidance of
her guru Kum Geetha Ganesan, Rishika gave her first stage
performance at Balananda Sangham. In the last four years she has
given over 40 performances individually as well as part of Uttaraa
Troupe at prestigious events such as 1st Afro Asian Games,
Avdhoota Datta Peetham at Mysore, Godavari Pushkaram at Basara,
NISIET at Hyderabad, The International Association of Lions Clubs,
Arts & Crafts Festival, Tirupathi, Shilparamam, Sri Ramachandra
Mission at Hyderabad etc and others.
She has donned prominent roles such as "Little Krishna" in the
dance dramas of Uttaraa Centre For Performing Arts(UCPA).Endowed
with natural beauty and grace, Rishika is well known for maturity
in performing. Following the footsteps of her teacher, Rishika is
slowly developing a unique niche for herself in the field of
Dance.
Her Prodigal talent took her places. As year passed by Rishika
came across as an extremely confident dancer and her enthusiasm
was infectious." Over the last couple of years, she has given a
number of stage performances, including one for the visiting
foreign delegates at the inauguration of 1st Afro-Asian Games in
Hyderabad. She travelled travelled all over to give a performance
at Avadhoota Datta Peetham at Mysore. She won many awards and
rewards. She won 1st Prizes at various prestigious competitions in
Bharatanatyam, such as —All India Competitions, Andhra Balananda
Sangham etc. She was also awarded the "BALA RATNA" award by Vasavi
Art Theatres. She won 1st prize third time for the years 2001,
2003 and 2004 from Andhra Balananda Sangham. She won first prize
in the year 2004 and 2nd prize in the year 2003 in an All India
Dance Competition.
"I pay usual attention to my studies also," says Rishika. Though
not exactly a topper, Rishika has always scored well. From morning
to evening, Rishika keeps herself busy with homework and studies.
Before that it is just dance and dance practice for her. She
practices dance atleast two hours a day. Besides dance she has
been undergoing training in Carnatic Music from Smt. Bhanu Kannan.
Presently, Rishika and her elder sister Ashvitha are under the
tutelage of ‘Gana Kokila’ Smt. Prema Ramamurthy.
When asked about her future plans, Rishika says she wanted to be a
great Bharatanatyam dancer. Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest
dance forms of India. It was nurtured in the temples and courts of
southern India since ancient times. Today Bharatanatyam is one of
the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is
practiced by male and female dancers all over India. Due to its
wide range of movements and postures and the balanced melange of
the rhythmic and mimetic aspects lends itself well to experimental
and fusion choreography. She needs to be encouraged as long as she
keeps her interest in the dance, informed her guru Kum. Geetha
Ganesan.
Her parents Mr. Venkatesh Kumar her father, Mrs. Pramila her
mother are very happy about how their daughter is shaping up in
the dance. They wanted to encourage Rishika and her elder daughter
in whatever they like as long as they keep their interest intact.
Mrs. Pramila takes care of extra-curricular as well as academic
activities of both the children.
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August' 2004
Reachout News Bureau |
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