{"id":37540,"date":"2024-05-03T07:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T01:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=37540"},"modified":"2024-05-02T12:57:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T07:27:38","slug":"nikita-menon-indian-danseuse-shining-a-spotlight-on-bharatanatyam-in-singapore","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/nikita-menon-indian-danseuse-shining-a-spotlight-on-bharatanatyam-in-singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikita Menon: Indian danseuse shining a spotlight on Bharatanatyam in Singapore"},"content":{"rendered":"

(May 3, 2024)<\/strong> Kohl-rimmed eyes, with beautiful mudras, and nuanced facial expressions, there is a story unfolding on the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, the durian-shaped landmark in Singapore. An Indian girl is deep in the midst of shabdam<\/em>, a part of Bharatanatyam, and the audience is left spellbound. In the hustle-bustle of Singapore, Indian danseuse Nikita Menon is taking the age-old dance form to new audiences. The 27-year-old’s tryst with dance began early, and over the past two decades, Nikita, who was conferred the title of Natya Visharad by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, is evolving. “In recent times, there is great acceptance about Indian classical dance across the globe. There is a lot of visibility, and I think it is one of the most exciting times to be an artist,\u201d Nikita tells Global Indian<\/em><\/a> in an interview. For someone who initially trained under Guru Maalika Girish Panickkar in Singapore, Nikita relocated to Bengaluru for a brief period at the age of 16 to learn the nuances of dance from the Late Smt Nagamani Srinivasa Rao. “I owe everything to my gurus who have been the guiding light for me,” says Nikita, who now performs in the UK where she currently resides.<\/p>\n

\"Global

Dance – an extension of oneself<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Born in Trivandrum to a businessman father and a marine geologist mother, Nikita moved to Kuwait when she was two-month-old. When most children of her age would immerse themselves into cartoons, little Nikita would watch classical dance on Doordarshan. It wasn’t until she was three that she began her formal training in Singapore, where her family settled in the late 90s. “I was always inclined towards dance, even when I could hardly comprehend beats or movements. I was three when I started training. After my parents enrolled my elder sister into dance, I wanted to learn too,\u201d recalls Nikita.<\/p>\n

Being obsessed with colours, Bharatanatyam was the perfect celebration of what Nikita loved. “Dance is an expression and extension of oneself,” she says. Her pure love turned into a passion as a soloist at just eight years of age. “I was so fortunate to have access to such a beautiful art form,” adds Nikita, who has performed across Asia and Europe.<\/p>\n

\"Nikita