All the eight classical danceform's temple ritual names were different from their present names although each is technically justified to be renamed thus.

'Sringa Nritya'& 'Bharatanatyam' were earlier respectively known as, Araiyar sevai & Sadirattam in the temples. Their adaptation from their temple ritual forms to classical danceform status, has also respectively taken around 35 and 350 years . Dehee's Choreographer the originator of Sringa Nritya has dedicated last 35 years of her active performing life to the revival of this ancient classical danceform besides teaching & performing Bharatanatyam as an A top grade performer.Her unique discovery recreation of our rich heritage,and contribution to the field of Performing art, especially in the Indian context, (as in a scientific field) has been patented by the highly esteemed organization Sangeet Natak Akademi which has validated Usha’s work through a Research Fellowship 1980 for her discovery and adaptation of a very ancient unknown unsung dance form, 'Araiyar Sevai'. Also for her original contribution of a rare dance form, the Govt. of India Department of culture awarded her the Senior Research Fellowship 2000 that only the top experts in India receive

WHY CALL IT SRINGA NRITYAM ?

'Sringa Nrityam' dance technique's original perceptor is said to be Lord Vishnu, as mentioned in the Natya Shastra and in earlier puranas and further coraborated by the Arrayars, Usha Narayan has hence rightfully renamed the adapted classical dance format of Araiyar sevai as 'Sringa Nrityam'

Hence Dehee Performing Arts center at California felt the need to nurture and propagate this ancient 'Indian Heritage'. Dehee has already made its presence felt for its contribution for adding yet another rich dance vocabulary of body movement gestures and classical style called Sringa Nrityam to the rich Bay area culture through voluntary productions for raising funds and participating in events organized by other leading schools of dance here.

BHARATANATYAM.

Pandanallur Guru Chokkalingam Pillai Style(The original Guru of Kalakshetra Institute who set it's style and standard)

ABOUT THE TEACHING METHODOLOGY:

Dehee's students are also rigorously and systematically trained in perfecting the scintillating Bharatanatyam both Pandanallur Kalakshetra style and the Tanjore, of the famous pandanallur school. How ever, from the very begining, at every step the whole methodology is performance oriented to make it motivational to the hard working sincere students. However she is lovable to 4 to 6 year old students as much as the teen age and senior students and handles them very differently, making it performance oriented in order to keep them away from the initial harsh body pains of the adavus and the Ayata posture in order to nurture and keep their interest and confidence alive. Once their legs gain strength then Usha is very strict with perfecting the adavus only before going to items. Many relish this new way of teaching today.

Instructor Usha Narayan being honored with

1. "KALA RANJANI AWARD- a title 'DEIVIKA NATYA MANI- 1985"- Madras/India ;

2."LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2005"- at SFO California; Youth Utsav Fest. Judges Award.

Dehee treads towards National and International participation, while striving to inculcate in this short time a high level of aesthetics and discipline in this rare dance form ‘Sringa Nritya' & a rigourous step oriented pandanallur style of 'Bharatanatyam', besides training instructors for the future.Dehee helps the dissemination of traditional ancient rare padams and rare Sadirattam' items. Also yoga-cize conceptualized by Dehee as the initial physical workout preparations, is being accepted as an efficient health workout even by health clubs. This as we know is essentially the practice of ancient healing systems of dance therapy, in line with the ancient treatise on dance the 'Natya shastra' of Bharatamuni.

As first of its kind in the U.S. Dehee Performing Arts founded in 2001, is dedicated to the dissemination of rare forms and rare items of Indian classical dance and music. By disseminating a recreated classical dance style 'Sringa Nritya' from an ancient temple dance form called Araiyar sevai, Dehee adds yet another rich dance vocabulary of body movement and gestures to the rich Bay area culture.

Dehee Performing arts choreographer- Guru Deivika Usha Narayan, is internationally acclaimed for her dicovery of 'Araiyar sevai' ancient temple dance tradition, and its adaptation to stage as 'Sringa Nritya'. She is hence, recognized "as the originator of the eighth classical dance form of India named 'Sringa Nritya". Her place amongst the other originators of seven other classical dance forms of India is recognized by the 'Indian Limca Book of records 1991.

Look for ON GOING PRODUCTIONS at Dehee

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