Place: Italy, Altare (SV)
School: Talavidya International Academy of Kuchipudi and Bharata Natyam
Youtube: http://youtu.be/oXvDYWK0jh4
Contact:
Email: info@danzaindiana.it
Phone: (0039) 3336376662- 0039 019584692
Dancer of Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi
Atmananda ex Lilavati Kamala Devi, started moving her first steps of dance when she was only 4 years old, showing already herself to be a prodigy infant. She devoted herself to a traditional intense study of the Bharata Natyam Dance. She is Italian by Birth from Italian parents. She lives in the Hindu Monastery, the Gitananda Ashram in Altare (SV, Italy). In this place so rich of cultural and spiritual stimulus she devotes herself to the practice and study of dance, yoga, Sanskrit and Indian philosophy. She attends the University of Turin following an oriental curriculum of study.
ARTISTIC EDUCATION
She started her artistic studies and education under the guide of the dancer, choreographer and teacher, Amma Savitri Nair, and Menakshi Devi at the Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry, India. She spends long periods of time in India to study dance with prestigious Indian teachers and choreographers, such as Ambika Buch, Dhananjayan and Shanta, CV Chandrashekhar from the important and famous Kalakshetra Academy of Chennai (Madras) disciples of the famous Rukmini Devi who established the aforesaid school. Lilavati K.D. gets in touch with the artistic society and attends the Kalapitham School of the teacher Sitarama Sharma, studying Karnatic music and natavangam. At the end of a very intense period of study in Chennai (Madras) she performs at the temple of Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka, the Aranghetram, the traditional consecration to the dance, becoming officially a Bharata Natyam Dancer. The celebration took place in the presence of important personalities of the artistic world of Chennai: Adyar Lakshmanan, Krishnaveni Lakshaman, Janardana, Shantala Sivalingappa, CV Chandrashekhar who says about her: “She is an artist of extraordinary talent….the marriage of talent, grace and refined harmony which shine through her performance bring the incarnation of magnificent dancers of the past and the art belonging to the Indian tradition to life again ….” She also starts studying another style of classic dance, the Kuchipudi Dance, at “the Kuchipudi Art Academy” of Chennai with Sri Vempatti Ravi Shankar, established by the Master Sri Vempatti Chinna Satyam, with Shantala Sivalingappa, dancer and choreographer and with Vyjayanthi Kashi, teacher, dancer, choreographer of the “Shambavi School of dance” in Bangalore.
PROFESSIONAL COURSE
Her professional journey takes her outstanding artistic ability through numerous performances in India and in Europe. In occasion of important events (at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in Barcelona, 6° world-wide summit of Nobel Prize for Peace, Protomoteca Room in Campidoglio in Rome and at the Millennium meet 2000” at the Ananda Ashram-Culture Ashtanga Yoga of Pondicherry etc.) and in theatres (in India, in Chennai at the Narada Gana Sabha Theatre, In Italy at the Auditorium of Rome etc.). She performs during the most important Hindu festivities in Indian Temples (in Chennai, Ratnagirishwar Temple, Inter-religious Temple of Light, in Chidambaram, etc.) and in Italy (Sri Lalitha Tripurasundari Temple in Altare). She achieves widespread success and appreciation for her artistic and technical competence that she receives the title of Natya Kala Rani “Queen of Bharata Natyam” by the Sri Mahameru Dhyana Nilayam of Chennai. In Italy Svamini Atmananda holds courses and stages at the “TALAVIDYA International Academy of Kuchipudi and Bharata Natyam”, she holds lessons and gives demonstrations to young people in schools and universities. She participated to Turin Spirituality 2006-2007-2008 by holding seminars on the Indian dance and dance programme. She has been invited to some television programmes as “Costume e Società ” (Custom and Society) and “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro” (at the Kilimangiaro feet). She holds a seminar of Dance with Amma Savitri Nair and Shantala Sivalingappa, at the international “Rudra” School directed by the famous artist, dancer and choreographer Maurice Bejart in Losanna.
In July 2008 she took the vows, entering the Giri monastic order. At the time of her initiation she has been authorized to continue to dance, which is quite unusual for a nun.
For Atmananda dance is a real prayer elevating the spirit to the divine.
S. Atmananda lives this art as part of her life , “the flower to be offered during her prayers”. This great love takes her to live, through the dance, a deep spiritual experience.