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Young World
Dance is her passion
CHITRA V. RAMANI
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She loves to dance and excels in it too.
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T.J.Nivedita: An inspiration
T.J. Nivedita has lost 90 per cent of her hearing, is spastic and mentally retarded. But none of this has come in the way of her passion for Bharatanatyam. This 18-year-old, studying in fourth standard in J.S.S. Sahana School for the Disabled, is an accomplished dancer. She has won both a National award from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and Karnataka State Award from the Department of Women and Child Welfare, in recognition of her co
ntribution to the field of art and culture.
T.N. Jagannatha Rao, Nivedita’s father, says that even as a child, Nivedita showed an inclination towards the arts. “Her mother Rama Jagannath is a well-known singer who sings for leading dancers. She would take Nivedita with her to various concerts and recitals. Nivedita used to observe everything and try to repeat what she saw back home.”
Able dancer
Nivedita would often visit her aunt Subhadra Prabhu, a Bharatanatyam trainer. “She would sit in the class and observe the students dancing. My sister, who saw this, started teaching her Bharatanatya. She was five-years-old then. In spite of her multiple disabilities, she picked up Bharatanatyam fairly quickly,” he recalls.
Nivedita, who started performing at the age of eight, gave her solo Rangapravesha in April 2007. She has participated in several dance programmes and won awards, her proud father says.
Nivedita has participated in the All-India Ability Utsav 2000, conducted by the Young Men’s Christian Association, New Delhi, and won the second place for solo Bharatanatya performance. She was named as the Best Physically Challenged Woman of the Year 2006 by the Foundation for Art and Culture for DEAF.
“We want her to continue dancing and inspire children like herself. She has even begun teaching a few steps to students who train under her aunt,” says Mr. Rao.
To watch Nivedita’s performances, visit www.vomiksha.com or www.artindia.com.
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