Niruththanjali 2019

Chennai, 10th September 2019, 6PM: Smt.Niruththasorubi Tharmakulendran is completing 50 years of success in Bharathanatyam, as a teacher 30 years. On this occasion she has organized “Niruththanjali 2019” – a Bharathanatyam performance festival portraying her own Tamil composition peformed by eminent performing artists in Chennai. It was held on Tuesday, 10th Sept, 2019, 6PM at the main hall, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai. This was one of its kind and unique that a Tamil lady from Melbourne organizing “Bharathanatyam dance festival” in Chennai, that too with her own Tamil composition. Even though she lives in Western country, her desire is to bring to light the treasure of her own Tamil compositions, first to Tamilnadu and all over the world.

A Srilankan by Birth, A Indian by student & artiste, An Australian by Citizenship – Smt.Niruththa kept her passion towards Bharathanatyam, written over 100+ Tamil songs, composed & choreographed to use in Bharathanatyam. When most of the Bharatanatyam artiste uses songs of legendary composers and rarely people even think of creating new music, Smt.Niruththa made a difference.

Chief Guest for the event is Smt.Dr.Ritha Rajan, Retd Professor & Head of Department (Music) of Queen Mary’s College, Chennai. Advisory Board Member – The Madras Music Academy and A Grade Artist of All India Radio (Prasar Bharti). She was the Lecturer in Music for Smt.Niruththa while was student of B.A Music at Queen Mary’s College, Chennai.

An array of talented Bharathanatyam performing artists & Gurus from Chennai performed to some selected songs composed by Smt.Niruththa – those where, Kalaimamani Smt.Roja Kannan (Chairman of ABHAI – Association of Bharathanatyam Artistes of India); Shri.Shanmuga Sundaram; Kalaimamani Shri.Binesh Mahadevan; Shri.Chinnamanur J.Krishna Kumar; Shri.N.Srikanth & Smt.Aswathi Srikanth – all are renowned Bharathanatyam Artistes in Chennai. Vocalist Shri.Kaushik Champekesan, Mrudangam – Shri.Nagai Subramanian Narayanan, Violin – Shri.Palakkad Vishwesh Swaminadhan, Flute – Shri.J.B.Sruthi Sagar and the legendry ‘Sakalakalavalli’ Smt.Revathy Sankaran as Master of the Ceremony.

On this occasion – Kalaimamani Smt.Roja Kannan was honored with “Niruththa Kala Acharya” Award, and all other Artists were honored with “Niruththa Kala Jothi” Award by “Niruththanjali Dance Academy, Melbourne”

Through this festival Smt.Niruththasorubi Tharmakulendran not only bringing her lyrics & composition to Chennai, but also playing a vital role creating a platform for all eminent Bharathanatyam Artistes & Gurus of Chennai to perform in a single stage and making them perform her own 8 songs in Tamil

Early life

As a Bharathanatyam Dancer, Dance teacher, Dance Choreographer, Tamil Lyricist, Community Radio-TV Presenter, the multiple talents, we would have seen in Smt.Niruththasorubi Tharmakulendran from Melbourne, Australia who is the producer of Niruthanjali 2019. The number of dance compositions written by Smt.

Niruththa and choreographed & performed by the well known talented performing Bharathanatyam Gurus of Chennai. She had an opportunity to learn and master the language of Tamil from her mother Smt.Lakshmi Sivapatham, the Tamil pandit. She started to write stories, poetry and songs from her childhood. Started her dance career at 4yrs of age, 14yrs of hardwork at vigorous training made her to gain a teachers grade & diploma in Bharathanatyam.

Then after she moved to Chennai and joined the prestigious dance academy “Bharathachoodamani” & became a senior disciple of Padmashree Awardee Shri. Adyar K.Lakshman. She had the privilege of performing at various places across India under the guidance of Shri. Adyar.K.Lakshman, Smt.Niruththa’s first international performance outside India was in 1991 at Zurich & Basil in Switzerland for Tamilisai Sangam. Along with the dance career she has completed her Bachelors in Art (Music) at Queen Mary’s College, Chennai.

Post Marriage, Contribution to Bharathanatyam in Melbourne, Career, Awards and Recognitions

In 1995, post marriage she had moved to Melbourne (Australia). Even though the support of her family, expecially her husband, she continued her dance career and established herself by giving birth to a dance academy “Niruththanjali” and as an artistic director at “Niruththa Indian Fine Arts” which is community initiative for promoting Indian performing arts in Melbourne. She is an active member in community works over the years were honored & recognised by Victoria’s Multi-Cultural Award for Excellence by Victorian Multi-Cultural Commission, Govt. of Australia.

In 2003, she was awarded as “Natyarathna” by her Guru – Padmashree Awardee Shri.Adyar K.Lakshman in Melbourne Dance Festival. For her innovative and artistic flair she also produced a TV Series titled “Nruththanjali” which aired on Global TV (Tamil Channel HQ in London). The show followed the inspirational journey of famous Indian Artists. She also brought Indian Artists and broadcast their monumental performances in the Channel and released dance tutorial CD titled “Nruththa” in 2014, “Chandralekha” dance drama in 2015, “Moongilin Natham” a collection of her own Tamil compositions in 2016.

In 2017, received honor of “Natya Chudar Mani” by the “Tamil Trinity Festival” Committee, Melbourne, Australia. All this 24 years of teaching and mentoring, she has taught Bharathanatyam for hundred of students who are from multi-cultural backgrounds such as Australian, Canadian, Singapore, Fiji, Malaysian, Mauritius, Indians, New Zealand and the British.

Scholarships by Smt.Niruththa

Smt.Niruththa gives 3 scholarships annually. One in the name of her mother Smt.Lakshmi Sivapatham; second one in the name of her first dance Guru Smt.Haridevi Jayasundara; third being in the memory of her late Guru Shri.Adyar K.Lakshman for the students excelling in Bharathanatyam under various parameters such as best in ‘Dedication’, ‘Passion’ and ‘Hardworking’. Passion in writing let Smt.Nruththa to write many compositions in Tamil for herself and other artists in Melbourne. They have used her composition in their “instrumental & dance arangetrams”.

Author: ADmiNIstRAtoR