Embedded Files
A stage for the timeless and the transformative
Two dancers take a deep dive into their dance traditions of Kathak and Bharatanatyam to find new pathways of expression and collaboration. This performance by Shivani Jatar (Kathak) and Dhivya Sundararaman (Bharatanatyam) features heritage items rarely performed in the UK.
Shivani will perform items from using Benaras style as well as the Lucknow style highlighting their similarities and differences. Through these items, she traces her dance journey that has brought her to the UK and inspires her to make Indian dance more accessible for audiences in the UK.
Dhivya will perform repertoire items like Alarippu, Padam and Keerthanam bringing an authentic experience of her Bharatanatyam practice. Showing the versatility of Bharatanatyam, and the route she takes to further her practice, Dhivya will perform a Tamizh poem.
The performance has been designed for UK audiences who are new to the world of Indian dance and will include translations and explanations. The themes are family-friendly so it can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
Menaka Manch is a platform for discovering the beauty, mastery and diversity of South Asian classical dance. Menaka Dance hopes to make this an annual celebration of dance in the city of Leeds and the North.
When: Saturday, 9th August 2025
Where: Studio 3, Yorkshire Dance, St. Peter's Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
What time: 11.30 am to 12.30pm
Tickets: £15 only (£10 for children & young people)
BOOK HERE - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/menaka-manch-tickets-1438040881989?aff=oddtdtcreator
Shivani Jatar
Shivani Jatar
Shivani is a dancer- choreographer based in Leeds. Her practice centres around the South Asian classical dance of Kathak. She considers herself as a contemporary practitioner of a classical artform. Her approach to Kathak is fluid yet grounded. This allows her to take inspiration from its history while searching for the contemporary expressions it offers.
Originally from Mumbai, India, Shivani trained with some of the best teachers in the city like Dr. Rupali Desai and Guru Sanjukta Wagh. She learnt different styles of Kathak from each respectively - the Benaras anga which is full of complex compositions and layakari and the Lucknow anga emphasized thehraav and nazakat.
She holds a Vishaarad in Kathak (BA in Kathak) from the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (2015). She completed her MA in Dance and Creative Enterprise from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2022.
Dhivya Sundararaman
Dhivya Sundararaman
Dhivya Srilakashmi is a passionate Bharatanatyam dancer with over 23 years of training under guru Dr. Lakshmi Ramaswamy. She has been teaching dance for the past 5 years and run Prakritilaya Arts, an online academy dedicated to nurturing and growing young minds by blending the traditional essence of Bharatanatyam with a thoughtful mix of classical and contemporary teaching methods.
She is also a certified 500-hour yoga instructor in Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and loves teaching movement, rhythm (talam), and yoga. A Doordarshan-graded artist and senior scholarship awardee from the Government of India, she works as an education and event coordinator. Balancing these worlds as a teacher, artist, and professional brings her deep joy and fulfilment.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse