By Vidhya Nair
VN: How did you come to be introduced to the Satyalingams & what were your first impressions?
UR: I met them both soon after they arrived, probably 1974-5 at an Air India party (her husband Rajan was Reservations Manager with Air India at the time). Both Neila and Sathyalingam were of course much younger and my first impression of Neila was her open smile – halfway between a smile and a laugh. She was warm from the start. When she recognised that I was a student of Pandit Chokalingam Pillai (nephew and Guru of lineage of the legendary Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai), she made an instant connection with me. Satyalingam also remembered me from my Arangetram in Chennai back in 1954. It turned out that he was present at that recital. A lovely coincidence!
I saw Neila as a typical Ceylonese-Indian family woman who spoke Tamil with the Ceylonese twang. Sathy (Satyalingam) at that time was a silent person, half-smiling and he would speak Tamil in the Indian way. We were in sync in every conversation and able to speak on many topics and have an opinion. We often talked about the arts and gelled on a big factor – her son, Skanda. I was Medical Director for School Health at the time and Skanda was a multi-disability child who needed total care and attention. Most importantly, I helped her write the first letter to MOM explaining the needs of the growing boy and his teacher-mother and why a male caregiver-helper was needed. I had tremendous respect for her in how she managed his care. Both Neila, Sathy and their daughters treated Skanda like a normal child and that was more than half the battle won. They needed a male caregiver for Skanda to move forward in their life in Singapore. After many queries from MOM, they received approval for a male caregiver from Srilanka, who was familiar with their needs and culture. Over the years each caregiver stayed for a number of years meeting the needs of Skanda and their home. It was then that Neila was able to free up her mind and channel her energy, talent, knowledge and skills to developing a new circle of artiste friends and make contributions to the arts scene in Singapore.
We also gelled on the fact that my son, Sanjiv and Neila shared the same birthdate, – February 8th. My son and she would exchange annual birthday wishes and speak to each other on that date. She was terribly upset when I was widowed and we often reflected on our first meeting when she met Rajan. She had noticed then that I had placed a rose at the nape of my neck in my hair the same way she also did too. We clicked, not realising how close we had become over the years but that’s how it was – a strong emotional bond based on our shared love for Indian classical music and dance, the medical care of her son. Managing our family and home – for me, she was like my family!
VN: How did your relationship with Neila evolve over the decades? Share your thoughts about how you saw her develop her art in Singapore?
UR: Neila wanted to start giving dance classes. She had a special talent for teaching little children. She first started classes at Handy Road (behind Cathay Cinema). My daughter, Rekha joined along and so did a few other mothers who sent their daughters. My son would come along too. It was a very simple, single room with a stage. She taught basic Bharathanatyam for children and Sathy and daughter Mohana gave her the background music support. Over the years, my mother, Mrs Sharada Shankar an accomplished violinist, also came forward to join Sathy, Mohana and their troupe in their Carnatic music recitals at various venues in Singapore.
The way Neila started in the arts scene was gradual, a step-by-step move up the ladder. She started classes at Cairnhill Community Centre and then at Tanglin Community Centre. I remember when the Minister for Law & Member of Parliament Mr E W Barker came for an event there to present certificates to performing children, he commended her on her work at Tanglin CC. It was a step into her future work with People’s Association. At Cairnhill CC, she moved towards inter-ethnic work collaborating with other leading dance veterans, Mdm Som Said and Mdm Yang Choong Lian. This resulted in the formation of Little Angels – a multiracial children’s dance troupe. Neila wanted the children to participate in a folk-dance competition in Europe and she needed help with the funding. I’ve always believed that it is easier to seek a small amount of funds from a larger number of donors than one large amount from a single donor or sponsor. I managed to help her achieve this and we sent them to Europe. They came back winners and that was a significant feather in her cap and inter-ethnic dance became her mainstay. This is an important criterion for the Cultural Medallion (highest culture award by National Arts Council which Neila Satyalingam received in 1989) She built a little fraternity there and also at the Kamala Club on Moulmein Road (near the Indian Association). She was appointed as People’s Association’s choreographer while based at Cairnhill CC and received much needed support from them. She had an innate talent to link the artforms and the ability to respect and get along with the other ethnic group champions. They were like sisters – not commonly seen. It was not competition at all. It was them, coming together, moving up hand in hand, benefitting each other so that none were left behind. Their contribution was in the right direction.
When the National Arts Council was formed (in 1990), I was nominated to be a Council Member along with Prof Bernard Tan, Brother McNally. Mdm Kay Kuok. Mr Robert Lau and other leading community arts champions under the leadership of Prof Tommy Koh and later Mr Liu Thai Ker. Serving on the Council in those years was a real privilege as I had the opportunity to interact with these brilliant minds and true culturalists. I also had the privilege of serving on a number of committees within the Peoples’ Association e.g., Lifestyle and Lifeskills and was also Advisor to the Singapore Indian Orchestra. This gave me the perspective and overview to see the arts companies at the national and community levels and engage with individual artistes and watch how performing and other arts was developing in Singapore. As we mapped the direction of the Council, we were also able to identify those men and women who had achieved appreciation of their peers as well as the leading arts industry veterans and champions. They represented their community and the nation.
As Neila moved from her first apartment in the Orchard area to house on Sarkies Road, I remember admiring her collection of artefacts related to Indian Dance and Music. It also became a venue for the Sathyalingams to host visiting Indian artistes such Pandit Ravi Shankar. Of course, the evening was noted for the fantastic Indo- Ceylonese spread Neila would churn being the great cook she was. Such evenings also brought together Singapore’s inter-ethnic arts community and the overseas arts fraternity to exchange thoughts and ideas and share experiences.
In those years, I had become an active stage presenter – providing the link between the audience and the artiste. I used to insist to not be called an emcee as I wanted the audience to appreciate the art and wanted them to crave and return for more. After every show, Neila would ask for my feedback as she felt I would be frank and give her a constructive critique. She loved to put all her little ones together on the stage for an item as she felt that was what the children and their parents would appreciate. It was of course fun to see kids performing as even the mistakes they made would be taken sportingly. I used to advise her not to do the same with the older students as they would draw negative criticism if they made similar mistakes and were not well coordinated. I used to pull her up when she did that and she accepted it with respect. She knew I wanted her, as well as all other Indian dance teachers in Singapore, to target reaching international standards of professionalism in presenting their art form. Ballet was already far ahead. Malay and Chinese dance were building up their competencies. The quality of dance is an important criterion in grant funding support. With back-to-back performances, comparisons are not incidental. Among the Indian dance schools the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and Bhaskar’s Academy were well established by the late 1970s. The Temple of Fine Arts (TFA)was established in the 1980s and they started presenting stage shows with a bang. These were not ticketed shows but based on donations run by volunteers from every category of service including leading professionals who designed elaborate sets. Sound and lighting along with IT support. Fantastic, huge theatrical style productions which made an impact on our audience. At the time, the quality of shows by TFA was top notch. Neila had not yet reached that standard yet. While she was trying to focus on developing the art, TFA gained a footing with their enigmatic leadership in Swami Shantananda and the energy of all the volunteers and many creative people.
Nelia’s ambition was kindled. The group ensembles became the norm, perhaps influenced by Chinese and Ballet dance. I recall the launch of Vanda Ms Jouqiaum – the Singapore orchid. Neila used ribbons and purple costumes in her segment. She was increasingly embodying the Singapore spirit and that was her edge. She was seen on par with all the other dance forms in Singapore. Sathy would discuss the music with me and I would constantly tell Mohana (their daughter) to not turn away from the mike when she sings. Neila would scold, “Listen, listen to Uma….” When she needed help or advise, she would call. Similarly, I would call her if an item was needed when I organised shows and will tell her frankly if there is a payment or how long the piece should be. I kept advising artistes and arts groups to learn how to draft the Budget – the Income and Expenditure including getting quotations from vendors and most importantly, ticket sales are to be strongly encouraged. I found myself imploring organisers to please pay artistes the basic costs so that artistes did not have to pay from their pockets and she appreciated it very much. For dance, money is so important as items like music support, costumes, props, sound, lighting, etc are expensive. Dance would often get small amount from organisers and funds would often be inadequate. Neila learned this along the way with her experience with PA. Funds continue to be a problem to date.
She wanted to develop many high calibre dancers who would execute the art well, meet the needs of the community and reach the call of the nation. Neila groomed many dancers but at that time, turning professional was still not a viable financial option but she nurtured a number of strong hobbyists like Dr Roshni Pillay and others. We had started to see more Arangetrams from all Indian teaching Academies. I tried to attend as many of these performances. With Neila, I felt I owed it to her for frank, constructive feedback on how she showcased her ensemble, programme content, the music, dancer’s abilities, colour choices & costume design and. She took my feedback sportingly.
Around this time, her children – the 2 older daughters married and moved out. She also transitioned into a different age group and her health started to give her problems. I would constantly be telling her to manage her weight. She would exclaim, “I do not eat!” and I would ask her “Do you move?” It was difficult for her to manage her own health, family, expectations in the community but she never gave up on her art. She had an extremely dedicated set of students who have been with her through thick and thin and helped her bring Apsaras Arts to where it is today. They were regular performers, helped with make-up, supported her in administration. There were several male students who helped her with logistics for the shows – transport, food. All of them started to become part of her family and she shared with them her vision, her dreams as she was considering their future and didn’t want to lose them. Some of them are still with Apsaras Arts today She very innocuously began to prepare and plan for the next generation.
VN: Transition in Apsaras Arts. What were your early impressions of Aravinth – the artiste and then the artistic director of Apsaras Arts?
UR: When I first met Aravinth back in the 90s, I considered him as a Veena artiste. He was concurrently a regular live and television Carnatic performer. His Young Artist Award (in 1999) recognised him for his contribution to music and as a veena player. He worked and performed with other arts groups – Bhaskars Academy and TFA.
Satyalingam recognised his talent. Aravinth was one of the few Srilankan Tamil artistes who made his mark in the Indian music scene in Singapore. He spoke Tamil with a Srilankan accent and was a knowledgeable South Indian musician. Another important part of him is his IT knowledge and I turned to him for IT advice for one of the nursing homes I was working with. For many years, Neila was up in front then slowly she started to take a step back and others came forward progressively to share in her responsibilities. Neila started to delegate her work as there were great demands for performances and her physical health was not permitting to cope with the demands of her marketing efforts. She never said no to multiple performance requests. I remember when we worked on Chingay together, we had the opportunity to walk through the parade side by side at Orchard Road and in the Stadium representing our Indian community. These are efforts that won people over and Neila’s contributions had gained tremendous attraction.
I started to see Aravinth then as part of Mama’s music entourage. He came to be prominent in the planning of their events and would be the spokesperson. When the company was set up (in 2005), it coincided with other groups also seriously considering how to set up a dance company. There was an industry wide realisation that via a company, with a sufficient talent pool, the artistes involved could start to make a living with income from shows. Creative thinking is intrinsic to such an endeavour and the people who can deliver the vision came to be needed. I saw Aravinth with his already established relationship and bond with Satyalingam and Neila move forward to become the bridge for Apsaras Arts to build their vision and become the pillar for both to lean on. Like Satyalingam and Neila, he too was from Srilanka and received his arts training similarly like them in both Srilanka and India. They had the same roots, culture and understood each other well. They were able to share ideas and with his IT background, he also brought his resources and network. Together with Neila’s PA inter-ethnic community, they were in a very good position to perform for anybody and everybody. Whether it was the Ceylon Road Senbaga Vinayagar Temple or Embassies or multi-ethnic organisations, they came to receive greater prominence and recognition. Apsaras Arts were not exclusive. They were inclusive.
Aravinth started to bring in and involve more of the foreign Indian talents which included acclaimed Indian artistes and he recognised the budding talents emerging from the new Singapore Indians who had learned, grown up and settled here. The beauty of Neila and Aravinth was their ability to gel with these incoming talents and find ways to harness this new knowledge and skill to coordinate and collaborate and build resources – costume design, music and other stage craft capabilities in dance. IT was replacing sets and props and with Aravinth on board, Neila was able to realise her vision in her own style. This was seen in the use of much-loved and revered Indian composer Rajkumar Bharathi for her projects. He worked very well with Apsaras Arts and his music compositions helped transform presentation of epics like Ramayana as done with “Anjaneyam” in 2017 to a level that appealed to international audiences.
Travel to India became a very big feature as we saw how routinely Apsaras Arts went to perform at the Chennai Music Academy and other key venues in India. Aravinth saw Apsaras Arts in a different light. He brought a modern, international style of theatrical productions which was a sudden change in our Singapore Indian Dance scene. He started to create productions with a theatrical concept in the newly minted venue – Esplanade, Theatres on the Bay. He was able to see the dance ideology that Neila had but he realised that he had to present it in a fresh, innovative way. The art and company had to evolve to meet the demands of today’s technology and audience. The time had come for Aravinth to move out of IT and take on the responsibility of running the Apsaras Arts company. The support from the various Grant Schemes of National Arts Council over the last decade also played a role. Grant proposal writing is an important skill. It calls for a mission, vision, planning and adherence to delivery and reasonability in cost management. Aravinth writes and speaks well and he presents good visual proposals. He developed concepts beyond the Indian texts and history – he brought in the concept of temples showcased through Indian dance which linked all the South East Asian countries. He identified concepts like architecture which resulted in great positive response and accolades. These are areas of interest to many people. He touched the right chord and pushed the art forward.
Aravinth has been able to recruit new talents and create his own platform and raise standards which he now needs to maintain. The coming of Mohanapriyan has aid Aravinth to stand alongside other international names like Akram Khan, Mavin Khoo, Wild Rice and others. Mohanapriyan came (in 2012) and boosted Neila’s courage and interest because she saw in him – a dancer from Srilanka, like herself albeit a male dancer in physic and form. He spoke the same language, culture and had the same arts training background ably straddling Sri Lanka and India just like her, Satyalingam and Aravinth. She could treat him as her own. I think she found in him the child she may have lost out on, maybe. For Satyalingam, it was already Aravinth, the son they leaned on to help them administrate and set direction to their lives. The coming of Priyan fitted in beautifully with Aravinth. I remember Neila telling me in Tamil of Priyan, “You saw what kind of child has come for me?” I’ve always felt that its God’s grace that brought Aravinth and Priyan from Srilanka to the shores of Singapore.
VN: What is Apsaras Arts to you today?
UR: UR: The spirit of Neila and Mama has been imbibed by Aravinth. As he moved forward with them, having understood their thinking, he went a step beyond to take the art form to a level that is required today in meeting the expectations of the artistes Neila trained. In meeting her ethnic requirements, he has put her on the international front. For Neila, who was so full of life yet was so traditional, this was a fitting way for her company to evolve after her time.
With modernity, everything needs a relook. Today, less is more. The costume, jewellery and headgear should not distract from the art itself. Music has become more interactive and more dimensions have been added. The Aravinth-Priyan dynamic can see the artform as a traditional and modern form which can capture the imagination of the younger generation irrespective of nationality. Whether performing in South Africa or France, the audience can feel the emotion of a performance without prior background or knowledge. I think Apsaras Arts over the years, is a name synonymous with South East Asian culture. It represents beauty, the feminine touch so the name is familiar even for a Western audience. They need to build on this more and more.
VN: With your many years of experience in arts management, how is the classical arts scene today?
UR: I think there is a huge difference between music and dance. Dance has evolved on the stage, there are more performances, more groups but the content is still reliant on history and mythology. There were a few attempts to deal with social issues but that didn’t hit off well. Social issues don’t gel easily with the classical format, the compositions don’t transmit nor does the form although costumes are simpler.
In music, we see a great move towards the creation of fusion. We see many new innovations in Carnatic music with groups in India like Agam, Thaikudam Bridge, and in the diaspora especially with Indian Raga and singers like Abby etc. The digital platform has brought global accessibility and in Singapore, the talents of the new Indians has resulted in many indoor home performances both in Hindustani and Carnatic music. So, music is escalating in the community but shows are mostly online. Dance in Singapore, we see arangetrams and we see trends of live big shows by groups [ with NAC grant funding]. The Blackbox is a new concept, easy to organise infrastructure but these shows should limit themselves to a crisp 60-90mins because audiences can’t appreciate a longer format. In Singapore, I find the audience is quite savvy with what is trending and available online. They are able to discern and compare. For example, Abby has so many fans and his 73 ragas format is so well put together and cohesive. The pandemic has pushed the demand for art which makes it far more competitive and challenging for artmakers to exceed expectations. I still don’t understand how digital content is funded though. Yet, we see the willingness to pay for art is woeful. There should be a minimum payment for any art. This is the sad story of the arts. There is disdain for big arts groups who get funding but the truth is, if they are able to justify their grant needs in writing, they will get it. You have to know how to write. It is a tremendous period for the arts to blossom. Many opportunities to get creative, experiment and stay current. Music can be adapted for any situation, mood. Also, the diasporic young Indians have raised the bar in standards and we may see a reverse trend in who the best artistes in classical music are. The finance part of it makes it difficult to survive so although quality of music and dance has gone up, post pandemic, we may see a dip in standards. Will there be enough artistes to cope with the demand and standards to meet audience expectations? We will have to wait and see.
VN: What is your concern for the future for the Indian arts in Singapore?
UR: My biggest concern for the future of the art is its financial viability and sustainability. Today the financial model for arts financing has become extremely complicated. With greater need for transparency, accountability and audit checks etc – drafting a budget and managing expectations on the cash flow has become more important and more time-consuming than the show itself! Often, we see people who assess arts financing have no background how the creative process works – who are the go-to talents in the industry and how cost is dependent on innumerable factors. Negotiating costs for a show requires experience and know-how. Getting 3 vendors quotes for every artiste / arts group selected especially leading artistes is not feasible as the choice is of that particular artiste. You need volunteers and staff who know the arts and the financial requirements. They need to know how to scrutinise and query every vendor selected, running background checks from the start very professionally without affecting the morale of the artistes.
The arts are also dependent on volunteers to organise and support artistes and performing groups. To encourage more people to support the organisation of events which involves performing arts, the environment should be conducive. “Conflict of Interest” can be a red herring – there should be declarations on financial interest but in the arts, relationships and bonds are equally important and trust is often only built after years of collaboration, support and mutual respect. The arts ecosystem in Singapore should help to support artistes and performing companies to cover their costs and sustain them to build on their work. It should also be a nurturing space for arts volunteers to work for the betterment of the arts bringing their organisational skills and these volunteers should not be hamstrung with bureaucracy. This will only threaten and dissuade people from supporting and volunteering themselves to the arts.
Portrait Bharatanatyam artistes, Renjith and Vijna share their experiences of dancing together and working on productions for Apsaras Arts. An Interview… Having watched ensemble work at the Kalakshetra, what is your relationship with ensemble work? For us, it is the coming together of dancing bodies to showcase an idea of the choreographer. It is about ... Read more
Interview Passion, perseverance, gratitude and a sense of continuity mark Kuchipudi dancer-choreographer-teacher-curator, Rajyasri’s career in dance; she traces her journey as a student of dance, her life in Singapore, and how she continues to engage with dance, based now in Bangalore You were in Chennai recently for an Apsara Arts show. How did it feel ... Read more
Interview Moments like these… Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste, Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala shares why working with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth Kumarasamy has been a blessing in her life. Please talk to us about your association with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth Kumarasamy? My association with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth began about 20 years ago. I was very busy ... Read more
INTERVIEW V Balakrishnan, Singapore-based dancer, shares his life’s journey with Bharatanatyam in conversation with Vidhya Nair How did you first become acquainted with the world of dance? From a very young age, I accompanied my mother, an avid film-goer to the cinemas. As the only son amongst five daughters, I was her pet. I responded ... Read more
Interview with Thiruchittampalam Ramanan An Interview with Thiruchittampalam Ramanan, considered the Pride of Singapore, a mridangist with over 1500 programmes, in his kitty : By Vidhya Nair Let us start from the very beginning. Tell us about yourself and your family I was born in Malaysia in the 1960s. My father worked for the Malaysian ... Read more
YAVANIKA – INTERVIEW WITH PRIYADARSINI GOVIND By Vidhya Nair VN: What motivated you to create Yavanika? What was your inspiration? Walk us through your process, from how you got the idea to the concept evolving, the director’s vision and what it was like to dance for the camera. PG: I had been wanting to work ... Read more
Interview with Radha Vijayan – Driven by passion and devotion, a celebrated musician reflects on his life’s journey By Vidhya Nair VN: Tell us about your family background – family members & growing up years in India? RV: I was born and raised in Chennai. Around the time of my birth, my father was already ... Read more
About Exposure, Experience and Experimentation: Interview with Monica Sharma Menon and Dayanand Menon By Vidhya Nair VN: Tell us about your background individually and together? MSM: I’m a 3rd Generation Singaporean of Punjabi descent. I have a younger sister who’s married and settled in Sri Lanka and my mother’s extended family still live in Medan, ... Read more
Shivangi Dake Robert Interview “Dance is joy,” a tete-e-tete with Shivangi Dake Robert, Kathak faculty and senior dancer By Vidhya Nair “Dance is joy. Teaching children has been particularly joyful. I’m really enjoying it. They have a blank slate and absorb easily without inhibitions. It’s also a joy to teach passionate adults who are very ... Read more
By Vidhya Nair “There are no formulas. When we don’t have time, we need to make time. Prioritise. Rearrange. Dance was something I wanted to do for a long time, then I realised that I need it to remain balanced. It’s an important part of having balance, a means to find happiness.” Read more about ... Read more
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T Ramanan started learning mridangam at the age of 12 from the late Sri R Thangavelu of Kuala Lumpur. In 1981, he joined the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and studied under the loving care of Sri Karaikudi R Krishnamurthy. Ramanan passed his mridangam final examination conducted by the Society in June 1984 with distinction and was awarded a certificate of merit. This was followed by his arrangetram during Sri T V Sankaranarayanan’s concert in July 1984.
Ramanan has been performing regularly since 1981 and has accompanied many accomplished musicians and dancers, both locally and abroad. To date, he has provided mridangam accompaniment for more than 350 Bharatanatyam arangetrams.
Shivangi started her Kathak journey under the tutelage of guru Dr. Sadhana Naphde in Nagpur, India. She reached her first milestone when she was awarded a National Scholarship in the field of Kathak by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India and received intensive training under the able guidance of Guru Smt. Shama Bhate. Over the years, Shivangi has had the privilege to learn from the legend, Padmavibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, in numerous workshops and she has also been a part of Maharajji’s various choreographies for live performances and television. She has successfully completed her Visharad and Alankar in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyala and Master of Fine Arts (specialisation in Kathak). She is the recipient of various awards such as,”Nritya Kala Praveena” by Samskar Bharati, Hyderabad, “Nritya Shri” by Kiran Sanstha, Katni, M.P, Winner of National level Inter University Youth Festival of India for 2 consecutive years, “Nritya Kala Nipun” by Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, ” Pt.V D Paluskar Award ” winner by Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. She has given numerous solo performances in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Reunion Islands, Japan & USA. Shivangi is passionate about imparting her art to young and old alike instilling them a love for beauty, grace and excellence.
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has been the Resident Choreographer and Principal Dancer with Apsaras Arts since 2012.
Originally from Batticaloa, Srilanka, he has completed his Bachelors & Masters in Fine Arts (2005-2012) at) at Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, affiliate of Bharthidasan University, India under the tutelage of Ogeswari Shanmuganathan (Alumni of Kalakshetra Foundation, and has earned his MPhil (2014-2016) from Tanjavur Tamil University, India. His MPhil dissertation researched Cambodia’s Angkor Wat from a dancer’s perspective. A book on this is currently in the midst of being published. He is currently pursuing his PhD on the study of the influence of the roots of Indian culture and religion in Indonesian & Thai dance forms. Besides being a Bharatanatyam practitioner and researcher, he has also been trained in Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Kishore Mosalikanti. Today, he is being mentored by the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyadarshini Govind.
Since 2007, Mohanapriyan has received numerous awards and titles such as “Narthana Vithakan” and “Bharatha Kala Mani” for his performance proficiency in Bharatanatyam from various organisations in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. He has received significant critical acclaim for his imaginative and innovative choreography for both his ensemble and solo work that bring together the traditional vocabulary of the tenants of Bharatanatyam while retaining a vitalized interpretation and relevance to modern audiences. His in-depth research and deep understanding of South East Asian dance traditions has also made him a gifted & comprehensive designer of production costumes, headgear, jewelry and makeup. His deep aesthetic sense and creative knowledge in craft and design has enabled him to create spellbinding visual spectacles for many Apsaras Arts productions. Mohanapriyan has presented many dance research topics at seminars and workshops and is a well-regarded mentor and sought-after teacher for many young & upcoming dancers in France, USA, India and Singapore.
Vijaya Nadesan has been a senior student and performer of Apsaras Art for the past 30 years and now specializes in Arts Education programs for schools. She started her formal Bharatanatyam training in 1987 under the tutelage of the Cultural Medallion Recipient, Mrs. Neila Sathyalingam. During her two decades of dancing, she has performed with People’s Association (1990-2000) and have gained experiences in Multi Ethnic, Folk and Contemporary dance forms. Her Arangetram in 1999 was a culmination of her varied experiences in ensemble work. She has been part of many travelling dance productions overseas – China, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India representing Singapore’s multi-ethnic dances. Today, she is overall in-charge of overseas productions and overseas project financing, vendor management, logistic and rehearsal scheduling. Over the decades, she has developed coaching and mentoring skills of varied Indian dance forms in schools and has helped schools achieve awards for schools at the Singapore Youth Festival. She has also cultivated a keen interest in teaching the traditional dance form to non-indian dancers in schools. Her teaching method involves interacting closely with students and meticulously creating structured learning techniques for her students which has helped her create innovative choreography.
Seema Hari Kumar began her journey in dance at the age of eight under the tutelage of Mrs Neila Sathyalingam and has been a teaching faculty member for over 17 years. She has performed in over 15 National Day Parades and Chingay Processions under the banner of the People’s Association and has collaborated on various national-level events with the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Dance Ensemble (SMEDE). Besides being on the dance ensemble of all Apsaras Arts’ local productions such as Aarupadai, Aalam, Nirmanika, Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma etc. since 2001, Seema has also taken the global stage with the Company at international arts festivals in Australia, Bali, Cambodia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Liverpool and Vietnam. Apart from performing, Seema has also expanded her portfolio to include choreography and teaching. She has assisted in the choreography and mentoring of schools during the Singapore Youth Festivals in 2004-2006. In 2011, she was also identified as a mentor-choreographer on Vasantham Central’s “Salangai Oli” programme where she mentored and choreographed the items performed by the finalist in the competition. Besides her dance career, Seema majored in Political Science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from National University of Singapore in 2006 and works in the events management industry.
Shivangi started her Kathak journey under the tutelage of guru Dr. Sadhana Naphde in Nagpur, India. She reached her first milestone when she was awarded a National Scholarship in the field of Kathak by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India and received intensive training under the able guidance of Guru Smt. Shama Bhate. Over the years, Shivangi has had the privilege to learn from the legend, Padmavibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, in numerous workshops and she has also been a part of Maharajji’s various choreographies for live performances and television. She has successfully completed her Visharad and Alankar in Kathak from Gandharva Mahavidyala and Master of Fine Arts (specialisation in Kathak). She is the recipient of various awards such as,”Nritya Kala Praveena” by Samskar Bharati, Hyderabad, “Nritya Shri” by Kiran Sanstha, Katni, M.P, Winner of National level Inter University Youth Festival of India for 2 consecutive years, “Nritya Kala Nipun” by Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, ” Pt.V D Paluskar Award ” winner by Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya, Mumbai. She has given numerous solo performances in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Reunion Islands, Japan & USA. Shivangi is passionate about imparting her art to young and old alike instilling them a love for beauty, grace and excellence.
Soumee De is a dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been training in Indian Classical dance forms- Kathak and Odissi, since the age of four. Soumee is a disciple of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra at Srjan, Bhubaneswar, India and currently an Odissi faculty at Apsaras Arts, Singapore. She is a co-founder of “Ethos -Exploring the Odissi Spirit,” a community of Odissi dancers in Singapore and recently hosted a series of Odissi related educational webcasts “ODE” featuring global scholars, dancers and teachers for holistic learning of dancers. She is the editor of Aavartana monthly newsletter published by Apsaras Arts and actively blogs in social media as a dance reviewer with the vision of growing the growing its appreciation beyond the boundaries of communities, borders, generations. Soumee also offers “Dance-telling” programs at The Artground and volunteers as a “Balvikas” teacher at Temple of Fine Arts for preschool young children. Among the recent performances, she was featured as a solo artiste at the Dance India Asia Pacific showcase by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay; performed in a new collaborative work “Kanna Va” by IndianRaga and Apsaras Arts in September 2020; conducted a workshop on “Ramayana through Odissi and Puppetry” at the Digital Culture festival by Indian Heritage Center; staged her new choreography “Ritu Ranga” at the Artwalk Little India Festival in January 2020-2019; “River Ramble” at the Stamford Arts Center opening by NAC in 2019; “Phenomenal Women” on International Women’s Day at The American Club and performed a full length solo repertoire at “Tribhanga” in the Darshana Intimate Dance Series by Apsaras Arts. She is an Economics graduate, completed an MBA in Human Resources and works as a management consultant to create a “better working world.”
Gayathri Chachithanandar holds a First class – Post graduate Diploma from Kalakshetra Foundation where she graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in both Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal disciplines in 2009. Hailing from Srilanka, she gained her initial training with Smt. Haridevi Jayasundara school of Fine Arts and North Ceylon Oriental Music Society. She also underwent advanced Bharatanatyam training under the tutelage of Sri. Sheejith Krishna, co-founder of Sahrdaya Foundation, Chennai, India.
As an accomplished teacher of 10 years, Gayathri has taught at Sahrdaya Foundation and at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). As a performer, she has performed all over the world, both solo and as part of ensemble productions in India, Srilanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Apart from Bharatanatyam, Gayathri’s excellent qualifications in Carnatic Vocals, Mridangam and Nattuvangam have made her unique teacher, able to impart not only the knowledge of the divine dance form but also teach the other building components of Dance, such as Music, Culture and Language.
Soumee De is a dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been training in Indian Classical dance forms- Kathak and Odissi, since the age of four. Soumee is a disciple of Guru Ratikant Mohapatra at Srjan, Bhubaneswar, India and currently an Odissi faculty at Apsaras Arts, Singapore. She is a co-founder of “Ethos -Exploring the Odissi Spirit,” a community of Odissi dancers in Singapore and recently hosted a series of Odissi related educational webcasts “ODE” featuring global scholars, dancers and teachers for holistic learning of dancers. She is the editor of Aavartana monthly newsletter published by Apsaras Arts and actively blogs in social media as a dance reviewer with the vision of growing the growing its appreciation beyond the boundaries of communities, borders, generations. Soumee also offers “Dance-telling” programs at The Artground and volunteers as a “Balvikas” teacher at Temple of Fine Arts for preschool young children. Among the recent performances, she was featured as a solo artiste at the Dance India Asia Pacific showcase by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay; performed in a new collaborative work “Kanna Va” by IndianRaga and Apsaras Arts in September 2020; conducted a workshop on “Ramayana through Odissi and Puppetry” at the Digital Culture festival by Indian Heritage Center; staged her new choreography “Ritu Ranga” at the Artwalk Little India Festival in January 2020-2019; “River Ramble” at the Stamford Arts Center opening by NAC in 2019; “Phenomenal Women” on International Women’s Day at The American Club and performed a full length solo repertoire at “Tribhanga” in the Darshana Intimate Dance Series by Apsaras Arts. She is an Economics graduate, completed an MBA in Human Resources and works as a management consultant to create a “better working world.”
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has been the Resident Choreographer and Principal Dancer with Apsaras Arts since 2012.
Originally from Batticaloa, Srilanka, he has completed his Bachelors & Masters in Fine Arts (2005-2012) at) at Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts, affiliate of Bharthidasan University, India under the tutelage of Ogeswari Shanmuganathan (Alumni of Kalakshetra Foundation, and has earned his MPhil (2014-2016) from Tanjavur Tamil University, India. His MPhil dissertation researched Cambodia’s Angkor Wat from a dancer’s perspective. A book on this is currently in the midst of being published. He is currently pursuing his PhD on the study of the influence of the roots of Indian culture and religion in Indonesian & Thai dance forms. Besides being a Bharatanatyam practitioner and researcher, he has also been trained in Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Kishore Mosalikanti. Today, he is being mentored by the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyadarshini Govind.
Since 2007, Mohanapriyan has received numerous awards and titles such as “Narthana Vithakan” and “Bharatha Kala Mani” for his performance proficiency in Bharatanatyam from various organisations in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. He has received significant critical acclaim for his imaginative and innovative choreography for both his ensemble and solo work that bring together the traditional vocabulary of the tenants of Bharatanatyam while retaining a vitalized interpretation and relevance to modern audiences. His in-depth research and deep understanding of South East Asian dance traditions has also made him a gifted & comprehensive designer of production costumes, headgear, jewelry and makeup. His deep aesthetic sense and creative knowledge in craft and design has enabled him to create spellbinding visual spectacles for many Apsaras Arts productions. Mohanapriyan has presented many dance research topics at seminars and workshops and is a well-regarded mentor and sought-after teacher for many young & upcoming dancers in France, USA, India and Singapore.
Seema Hari Kumar began her journey in dance at the age of eight under the tutelage of Mrs Neila Sathyalingam and has been a teaching faculty member for over 17 years. She has performed in over 15 National Day Parades and Chingay Processions under the banner of the People’s Association and has collaborated on various national-level events with the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Dance Ensemble (SMEDE). Besides being on the dance ensemble of all Apsaras Arts’ local productions such as Aarupadai, Aalam, Nirmanika, Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma etc. since 2001, Seema has also taken the global stage with the Company at international arts festivals in Australia, Bali, Cambodia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Liverpool and Vietnam. Apart from performing, Seema has also expanded her portfolio to include choreography and teaching. She has assisted in the choreography and mentoring of schools during the Singapore Youth Festivals in 2004-2006. In 2011, she was also identified as a mentor-choreographer on Vasantham Central’s “Salangai Oli” programme where she mentored and choreographed the items performed by the finalist in the competition. Besides her dance career, Seema majored in Political Science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from National University of Singapore in 2006 and works in the events management industry.
Gayathri Chachithanandar holds a First class – Post graduate Diploma from Kalakshetra Foundation where she graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in both Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal disciplines in 2009. Hailing from Srilanka, she gained her initial training with Smt. Haridevi Jayasundara school of Fine Arts and North Ceylon Oriental Music Society. She also underwent advanced Bharatanatyam training under the tutelage of Sri. Sheejith Krishna, co-founder of Sahrdaya Foundation, Chennai, India.
As an accomplished teacher of 10 years, Gayathri has taught at Sahrdaya Foundation and at Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). As a performer, she has performed all over the world, both solo and as part of ensemble productions in India, Srilanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. Apart from Bharatanatyam, Gayathri’s excellent qualifications in Carnatic Vocals, Mridangam and Nattuvangam have made her unique teacher, able to impart not only the knowledge of the divine dance form but also teach the other building components of Dance, such as Music, Culture and Language.
Chitra Pubalan has learnt Bharatanatyam since the age of five. She started her journey at Usharani Subramaniam School of Dance in Singapore and completed her Arangetram in 2002. In 2006, she joined Apsaras Arts under the tutelage of Srimathi Neila Sathyalingam. She has had the privilege of performing in various venues across Singapore, participating in stage productions and been part of international dance tours to India, Australia and London. Besides teaching and performing, Chitra graduated from National Institute of Education (NIE) with a post graduate diploma in education. Today, she combines her dance teaching while being a baking entrepreneur and raising her young daughter.
V Loganayaki Govindarajan has been a student turned performer and teacher in Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Cultural Medallion Singapore Legend Smt. Neila Sathiyalingam since 1992. She completed her Diploma in Bharatanatyam and Arangetram in 2008, after years of intensive local and international trainings and performances. She had the rare opportunities to learn and perform with distinguished Apsaras senior students/alumni like V. Balakrishnun, Kavitha Krishnan, Vijaya Nadesan, Nagaletchumi Balasubramanian, Selvi Radhakrishnan and the Kesavan Sisters: Jayanthi and Suganthi. Beyond Singapore, she has also worked in productions by Ajith Bhaskar, Geethashankaran Lam, Sri Nimal Raj as well as Neha Mondal Chakrabothy from Malaysia. She has also completed training in vocal music under the tutelage of Eelanallur Sri Sathiyalingam, late Co-Founder of Apsaras Arts Singapore, Sri Sampagodu Vignaraja, Founder of Surya Global Music Academy Bangalore, India and music together with nattuvangam classes under the tutelage of Sri Nimal Raj, Natya Rajyam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She holds a BA in Psychology and enjoys working with children and grooming them into responsible individuals. She has a love for yoga, communal cooking and advocating green practices.
Vijaya Nadesan – Academy Principal
Vijaya Nadesan has been a senior student and performer of Apsaras Art for the past 30 years and now specializes in Arts Education programs for schools. She started her formal Bharatanatyam training in 1987 under the tutelage of the Cultural Medallion Recipient, Mrs. Neila Sathyalingam. During her two decades of dancing, she has performed with People’s Association (1990-2000) and have gained experiences in Multi Ethnic, Folk and Contemporary dance forms. Her Arangetram in 1999 was a culmination of her varied experiences in ensemble work. She has been part of many travelling dance productions overseas – China, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India representing Singapore’s multi-ethnic dances. Today, she is overall in-charge of overseas productions and overseas project financing, vendor management, logistic and rehearsal scheduling. Over the decades, she has developed coaching and mentoring skills of varied Indian dance forms in schools and has helped schools achieve awards for schools at the Singapore Youth Festival. She has also cultivated a keen interest in teaching the traditional dance form to non-indian dancers in schools. Her teaching method involves interacting closely with students and meticulously creating structured learning techniques for her students which has helped her create innovative choreography.