Guru Smt.Prabha Nagarajan
Bhuvana with Guru 'Prabha Mami'.
'Prabha Mami' as all the students affectionately call her has always showed great unconditional love and affection to all her students apart from her diverse teachings of Bharathanatyam, classical music and Sanskrit language. It was all taught in an era when the children had enough time to learn and master the skills proficiently & the extra curricular activities were given prime importance. To relive those days of freedom to just learn dance for the sheer true love of this art form in the beautiful place of Indiranagar women's association, Chennai was more of an ecstatic experience for me. Such memories of great learning in a conducive atmosphere just for the 'art sake' under my guru's tutelage is a true blessing and in taking this art to be very sacred and spiritual!
'Shree Gurubhyo namahah!' - I propitiate to my Guru at her lotus feet!
Bhuvana (also known as Srimati) blessed by Guru Smt.Prabha Nagarajan on her arangetram day. (July 16,1986,Chennai,India.)
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"Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheswarahah, Gurur Saakshath Para Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namahah!! "
Guru Saahitya Siromani Smt. Prabha Nagarajan, founder-director of Lalith Kala Nilayam - a dance school developed on Pandanallur style of Bharathanatyam in Chennai, India. She has trained over 500 aspiring dance students over the past five decades.
Guru Prabha Nagarajan learnt the traditional Pandanallur style of Bharathanatyam from her illustrious Guru Smt. Neela Balasubramaniam, a prominent teacher of her time and the Founder/Director of Nataraja Natya Niketan. She has a BA in Indian classical music and a Master's degree in Philosophy and Sanskrit. She is a scholar in Sanskrit language which led her to translate one of the earliest and oldest books on dramaturgy - Sage Bharatha's 'NatyaShastra' from Sanskrit to Tamil. She learnt Carnatic music from Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sharma and Kumbakonam Viswanatha Iyer. Her Sanskrit Guru is Sri. Gopala Desikan also known as 'Sanskrit Vaadhiyaar' affectionately. ('Vaadhiyar' referred as Teacher in Tamil language.)
Please read more about her Sanskrit Guru Sri. Gopala Desikan given in this link here in Tamil -(http://tsnagarajan.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-post.html#more).
Her spiritual Guru is Sadguru Remaji who was the founder of the universal religion - Masquism.(http://www.masquism.com). She practices masquism for the welfare of the society and radiates calmness around her.
Guru Prabha Nagarajan has the unique distinction of introducing many innovations in her choreography known for its intricacies without diluting the Pandanallur style. She personifies simplicity and humility, and creates the perfect atmosphere for an engaging guru shishya method of Bharathanatyam teaching. Her forte is good rhythmic and
intricate adavus and jathis backed up by a great mellifluous voice and a
very high quality of standard in music. She has never sought limelight throughout her career. She mainly focussed on great methods of teaching and enlightening her students about the value of this great art. She is a very compassionate teacher and has taught several students from different walks of life from rich to poor, from smart to slow mentally developed children for their own benefit and improvement in health.
She firmly believes that learning the art of Bharathanatyam is purely a divine pursuit and helps the mental and physical well-being of the child.
Dance, according to Guru Prabha Nagarajan is a way of life and considers it as a prayer. It is a means of fulfillment, an instrument of integration and a pathway to a rich, deep, harmonious and creative personality!
Guru Prabha Mami doing Nattuvangam.
An audio sample of Mami's rendering of music in one of her teachings can be heard in the following mp3 file -->
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Sample of charukesi Varnam.mp3 Size : 2.287 Kb Type : mp3 |