Sridevi Nrithyalaya
It is considered rare in today’s society for anyone to have an attention span of more than a few minutes. However, Sydney dancers and rasikas recently sat enthralled through a dazzling 60 minutes of Sridevi Nrithyalaya’s thematic presentation Aindhu – and left wanting more. The Thamizh word for ‘five’, Aindhu explored the cosmic and visceral interpretations of the number through carefully curated dances.
All serious Bharatnatyam dancers are familiar with Sridevi Nrithyalaya (affectionately shorted to ‘SDN’), and its founder, the legendary Dr Sheela Unnikrishnan. Based in Chennai, SDN is world-renowned for its grand thematic productions, rigorous (but joyful) training of its high calibre dancers and strong online presence. Their YouTube channel has been sharing the Melattur bani (or style) of Bharatnatyam around the world since 2011, well before the pandemic saw the flourish of dancers who made social media their second stage. Founded by Mahaguri Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer, the Melattur bani showcases immense body control and flexibility in equal harmony with exceptionally vivid/cinematic abhinaya.
Aindhu commenced with a brief musical interlude (akin to a musical meditation) on a darkened stage, a prayer to Sharada Devi in her five forms. For many rasikas who follow dancers Bhairavi Venkatesan, Mridula Sivakumar, Mrinalini Sivakumar, Sanjena Ramesha and Nishkala Ranjeev online, their excitement at seeing their dance idols in the flesh was palpable in the theatre.
The invocation item in praise of Lord Ganesha erupted with the five dancers on stage moving as one, as if bound by a magical golden thread. Although of varying ages and heights, the young ladies presented as a single statuesque dancer – nimble, graceful, energy rippling outwards with every stamp of their alta and salagai adorned feet. It is worth noting the impeccably tailored costumes and signature jewellery and makeup that SDN is known for, a standout of the aharya (the art of communication through external presentation) aspect of abhinaya, were even more impressive when seen in person.
I had the privilege to engage in discourse with Dr Sheela, her sister Shoba Korambil (an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam artist herself) and the five dancers, to deep dive into what it’s like to learn at SDN. Their students are trained with kindness but discipline by Dr Unnikrishnan from a young age, instilled with understanding their own body (and its limitations) before progressing to performances. This care taken to accommodate individual anatomical differences is clear in the exceptional agility and strength exhibited by each dancer. As if to shine a spotlight on this, a highlight of the evening was the “Shutha Nrittam” (pure dance) item. The dancers responded only with their feet to the complex rhythmic challenges presented by the mridangam, incorporating the pancha gathis (five division of beats within a rhythmic cycle).
Channelling some aspects of Kuchipudi and evocative of the crisp footwork of Kathak, the five dancers also playfully interacted with each other through their eyes – a constant, exclusive, secret banter between themselves on stage that the audience felt privileged to be included in. Bhairavi Venkatesan spoke proudly of how this reflected Dr Unnikrishnan’s unparalleled style and creative process. The Varnam – the centrepiece of every Margam – was devoted to Lord Shiva. The first half began with a depiction of the five types of enlightenment, followed by rarely depicted scenes from the life of Lord Shiva. Every sanchari was a masterclass in choreography, cinematography and in achieving a finite moment of stillness to absorb the story – moving seamlessly through Shiva being depicted as the cosmic dancer, riding on his bull, Shiva testing his devotee by demanding food made of human flesh, and bringing the goddess Ganga to earth and Shiva tying her in his matted locks. Aindhu came to a forceful finale with the Dasavatharam, with the dancers commanding the stage with the same energy as they started.
SDN has a sister relationship with Sydney based Shivam School of Dance (SSD). Guru Saipriya Rahulan has nurtured this relationship with care, realising the importance of preserving this precious link to tradition for her students. They take inspiration from the extraordinary standard of dancing taught at SDN, with the first half of the evening comprising a showcase of the very skilled SSD dancers. Saipriya has stated with great feeling ‘to then see our own students stand alongside artists they have looked up to for so long was both humbling and deeply meaningful’.
As the SDN troupe flew onwards to Melbourne to dance as part of Yatra (the Melbourne Indian classical dance festival on 15 August 2026), I was left with one overwhelming impression: that, despite being such a high calibre of performers, the SDN troupe are delightfully endearing and humble individuals who were very excited to be in Australia. We look forward to seeing much more of SDN in Sydney in the future.
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