#PravasiBharatiyaDivas2021 Smt Lavanya Gopal, USA – Cultural Ambassador and Bharatanatyam Guru

Introduction

Smt Lavanya Gopal, Artistic Director of Kalanityam school of Bharatanatyam, is a disciple of Smt Rukmini Srinivasan, Smt Ananthalakshmi Natarajan and Smt Padmini Ravi. She started learning Bharatanatyam from a tender age of seven. She gave her solo debut in Bharatanatyam at the age of 10 in Thirkovilur.
 
Some of her performances include “Rasa Leela Tarangini “and Jayadeva’s Astapadi in which she played the main role. The main highlights of her dance journey include the role of Krishna in the Jayadeva Ashtapadi and Andal in Tiruppavai which won many accolades. She won the first prize for an intercollegiate Bharathanatyam competition held from all over Karnataka. She has choreographed thematic productions which include Bhaktha Prahalada, Dasavatharam, Srinivasa Kalyanam and Thiruppugazh. She started her dance journey in the US in 2003.
 
Smt Lavanya holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a Post Graduate in Marketing Management and a master’s degree in Sanskrit.

She shared her thoughts with Samvada World on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Purpose of teaching Bharatanatyam

Smt Lavanya believes that she is blessed to be teaching and performing Bharathanatyam, the art form which has the oldest classical heritage of India and is also regarded as the mother of all the other classical dance forms. Its base traces back to Natyashastra, the Sanskrit Hindu text of performing arts, she says.

Her goal in teaching this divine art form in the United States is to make it more accessible to the world to understand and experience, without removing its intricate beauty and history that the art has been developed from.

Teaching Bharatanatyam in USA

Teaching dance here is the most satisfying experience for me, says Smt. Lavanya. “I see that this art form has taught my students about India and its vast culture. In class, we discuss the dress code, the deities, the different indian festivals and sometimes even the food from India”, she says.

Kalanityam was founded by Smt Selvi Pragasam. Smt. Lavanya Gopal joined Smt. Selvi Pragasam in 2008. Kalanityam follows the Kalakshetra style of dancing. With the guidance of both the Gurus Kalanityam has grown considerably. The goal of Kalanityam School of Bharathanatyam is to promote Bharathanatyam in the United States and to enhance interactions with the local community here in San Jose.

Kalanityam students have performed for different cultural festivals for the past 15 years. At Kalanityam School of Bharathanatyam dance has been used to depict chapters from the great epics of India, patriotism and moral values.  They have addressed social issues such as displacement, global warming, racism  and violence through this art form.

A few of the thematic grand productions of Kalanityam include, Satyagraha the Essence of freedom, Rakthabeeja Samharam and Jayadeva’s Astapadi.

Social Service in the USA

Smt Selvi Pragasam and Smt Lavanya Gopal are also greatly involved in the community especially in supporting and educating children and adults who are differently abled.

InFUSE a non profit founded by them in 2017 is the fruit of this passion and it includes all kids invariable of their abilities and gives them equal opportunity be it in education or in fine arts.

Significance of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Smt Lavanya says that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a wonderful initiative by the Government of India for the Non Resident Indians to express, to connect, to celebrate and to motivate them to reconnect the bonds with Indian diaspora across the globe.

She says that diaspora for her is for creating and understanding the rich Indian culture. “It is rightly said the beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people”, she says.

“Culture defines us all. Culture brings us together. In the United States we have a variety of cultures from all over the world. The most beautiful thing is understanding, learning  and celebrating each other’s culture”, she says.

On the future of tradition, she believes it is very important to keep the tradition going. “I want to be able to pass on this divine art form to generations, because I feel this is how we can keep the art alive”, says Smt. Lavanya Gopal.