Ashrita Vemuganti is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and a budding artist in the performing field. She is a senior disciple of the world-renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Smt. Rajeswari Sainath, director of Shruthi Laya Kendra Natarajaalaya [SLKN]. In the last decade, she has given more than 70 performances at various stages, both solo and group. In June 2007, she made her international debut at the Indian High Commission, Malaysia. Recently, she was selected all over India as one of the SPICMACAY scholars. She has a certificate course, both in Carnatic music and dance. Being a senior student of SLKN, she now trains a batch of beginners and actively choreographs ballets at the college level.
A highly meritorious student throughout her school and college, she has won trophies for being the best-all rounder, best student and so on. In the last 5 years, she has won more than 50 prizes in academic, literary and cultural competitions. She is currently pursuing bachelors in Psychology from St. Francis Degree College for Women. She wants to make the best use of her multi-faceted personality to spread awareness about Indian art, discuss burning issues and create an impact on the youth.
Q. How did your journey with Bharatnatyam begin?
A: When I was around three or four, my Mum saw me grooving to these bollywood numbers and she thought that I had this ‘thing’ for dance. And that’s how we came to know about a teacher who lived in the nearby colony and got started.
Q. Why did you choose Bharatnatyam and not any other form of dance?
A: Initially, till I was about ten or twelve, it didn’t really strike me, that what I was learning was Bharatnatyam. It also happened that I went through a phase when I would any day prefer a Madhuri Dixit number to doing a Jathiswaram or Allaripu. But I could say that since the past two years, I have realised the importance of getting back our culture. It is so pleasing to know that one would enjoy a fast bollywood number for a day or two and forget it the next, but not an excellent performance.
Q. How important a role does your family play in your success?
A: My world starts and ends with my Mum. It’s very important for my family to be supportive. If they hadn’t said ‘yes’ to every single milestone of mine, I wouldn’t have been able to do many things.
Q. Tell us more about your Guru, and also do tell us which feature of hers inspires you the most.
A: I’ve been lucky to have trained under two Gurus. My first Guru was Smt. Priya Karthikeyan, who has now moved to Chennai. She gave me the foundation, which I believe is an extremely important part of dance. She was very good at Abhinaya, and that’s where my Abhinaya also improved. After joining my present Guru, Rajeshwari akka, the world renowned artiste, there has been no looking back. My footwork has gotten very strong. Dance is a combination of hand movements, gestures, eye movement, and as my Guru puts it, it’s a multi organ movement, and hence requires a lot of concentration.
The most striking thing about her is her dedication. It just makes you want to do more and more. And, for any student encouragement from the guru is the biggest boost and i've been extremely lucky as Akka is very supportive to all of us students.
Q. We know that you’re a multi-faceted personality yourself; you hold a certificate course in Carnatic music and Dance. So, what about Nattuvangam, are you learning that too and have you debuted on stage yet?
A: It’s been two years that I am assisting my Guru in taking classes at the Jubilee hills centre, and due to which my Nattuvangam has strengthened, but I am yet to debut on stage. I am just waiting to get on stage, sit next to the orchestra and say ‘thaiyum thatha’.
Q. In this age of CDs, DVDs and everything coming ready made, how important a role does the live orchestra play?
A: To start with, it’s thrilling to have a set of people sitting on stage and playing. Music is very soothing even the most chaotic auditorium can fall silent in a minute, if you have a striking performance with incredible music. In this age of CDs and DVDs, if the sound system goes bad, it can be quite detrimental to the performance. But if the recording and sound system is good, then its okay, but nothing matches the live orchestra.
Q. You’re the winner of a Dance reality show on TV, so how doe feel to be on TV? Is it different from giving a live performance?
A: The process of going to another state and competing with the dancers of that state was truly exciting. We never paid any attention to the camera rolling or the anchor speaking, all we were bothered about was our performance on stage; in other words, it was no different from a live performance. Only after everything was over that we realised that it was a TV show. When it came to doing my bit, my dance was all that mattered to me.
Q. You made your international debut at the Indian High Commission, Malaysia. How did that feel and how important was it for you?
A: Speaking honestly, two years ago dance meant something else to me, now dance means much more to me. When my mother said that I was going to debut there, it sounded exciting and the experience was thrilling, but somehow my aesthetic sense was not very active then. But talking about its importance, now. I value it a lot and in a way, you can call it my defining moment.
Q. Like you said, you’re handling classes at your Jubilee hills centre, and so do you enjoy teaching?
A: I love teaching! I love dealing with youngsters. I think that young minds are the most beautiful creation of God. Not just dance, but I love conducting sessions, due to which I take part in a lot youth programs. I am there wherever I can go and make my contribution there.
Q. How did SPICMACAY happen?
A: It happened accidentally, one of my aunts, just called and said that there was an advertisement in the newspaper and that they were offering scholarships and I could learn whatever I wanted to learn. I looked through the list and saw Kathak, and all I remembered was Madhuri in Devdas. Very few got selected, and with my guru we were just four students. In order to attend this, I had to miss my diploma exams, but I felt that a diploma can happen any other time also, but not this.
Q. Be it being a meritorious student or a successful dancer, a great organiser or an enthusiastic teacher, you’ve been there and done that, how do you manage to strike the perfect balance?
A: It has a lot to do with watching my Mum, my Guru and my senior Smitha Madhav. I've seen these women, play so many different roles to perfection and that’s rubbed onto me so much. My father's multi-dimensional personality has also influenced me a lot. My Mum, who's a scientist, a doctor, a mother, all put into one, is my role model. Seeing all these people manage so many things so well, makes you feel like you're capable of it too. That’s what is needed for a person to be capable, not the potential or talent. My study of Psychology has also changed my outlook, that’s where my mind plays a role. Just one appreciation also encourages me a lot. When you fail, you know the importance of success. Its basically just the need or desire to do it all.
Q. What are your other hobbies?
A: I love reading books, writing poetry, taking care of my dogs,meeting up old friends, watching movies (big-time bollywood fan) and I just love cleaning . I love to see cleanliness and neatness every where!
Q. What are your future plans?
A: As of now, I am in my final year of graduation in Psychology. Dance and Psychology are my priorities right now. I plan to continue pursuing my various inerests in terms of contributing to society through many channels. I want to communicate to the world with whatever I have. Visual media is very powerful, through dance ballets and dramas, through my poetry, articles and talking to young minds, going to schools and inspiring people. In short make a difference in the world through my art form. It’s so divine and powerful. I am very grateful to all my teachers, and don't have any regrets in my life.
When the cause is great, the result is greater. I want to keep my cause very humble, and I expect the results to be so.
