DEVASENA BHAVANANI
She has completed the PG Diploma in Yoga from Annamalai University in 2005.
She has been fortunate to study the essence of Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga directly under the guidance of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj and Kalaimamani Yogacharini Smt. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani since her childhood. She started attending Yoga and Bharata Natyam classes at Ananda Ashram in Sri Kambliswamy Madam in the year 1984 and has continued ever since.
She has been performing Bharata Natyam programmes since 1985 under the guidance of her Guru Kalaimamani Yogacharini Smt. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani. She also has the good fortune to be a student of world famous Padmasri Adyar K Lakshman of Chennai since the last ten years. She is presently receiving the Central Govt. Young Artist Scholarship for Bharata Natyam (the only dancer from Pondicherry receiving this prestigious scholarship) as well as undergoing advanced training under the able guidance of Kalaimamani Smt. Jayashree Narayanan, Principal, Bharathiyar Palkalai Koodam, Pondicherry.
In her career of more than twenty years, she has performed more than five hundred Bharata Natyam recitals in many places including Shimla, Bangalore, Kodaikanal, Chennai, Yanam, Karaikal and Chidambaram. She has also performed the leading roles in seven of Yoganjali Natyalayams Annual Dance Dramas including: Kannappa Nayanar, Karaikal Ammaiyar, Nandanar Charitram, Kamba Ramayanam, Meenakshi Thiru Kalyanam, Nala-Damayanthi, Andal Charitram and Silappadikaaram. She has performed at the Tenth Anniversary celebrations of ABHAI (Association of Bharata Natyam Artists of India) at Naradha Gana Sabha, Chennai, as well as for ABHAI Dance Festival in 1992 at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavans in Chennai. She recently performed at Naradha Gana Sabha, Chennai on September 7, 2002 under the auspices of Arkaya Foundation, Chennai. She has also been part of the Yoganjali Natyalayam Bharata Natyam Troupe during performances every year in the International Yoga Festival (1993 to 2002), as well as performing for Food Festivals, DRDA Festival, Chidambaram Natyanjali Celebrations, Vinayaka Chathurthi Festivals (1991-2001), Fete De Pondicherry and Natya Vizhas, and many other programmes too numerous to mention.
At present she heads the Music and Dance Department at Yoganjali Natyalayam as well as at the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER). In the last year she has conducted the Bharata Natyam Arangetrams for two of her students Miss Renuka Devi (2001) and Miss Padma Prashanthini (2002). It is note worthy that two of her students Miss Niraimathy and Miss Ramya were selected for the Central Govts Human Resource Ministrys National Best Child Awards from New Delhi for the years 2001 and 2002 respectively.
She is an expert in the traditional Natya Karanas, the acrobatic Yoga Asana-based stances of Bharata Natyam, which she performs with ease, having achieved a high degree of mastery in Yoga Asanas. She is an accomplished demonstrator of Yoga Asanas and has given hundreds of Yoga Asana demonstrations all over India. She has won many prizes in Yoga Asana Competitions both State and National.
She has more than twelve years of teaching experience in Yoga, having worked as a Yoga instructor at Yoganjali Natyalayam since 1993 and in that same capacity at ICYER since 1997. She has taught Yoga to people of all ages, as well as from all states of India, from various different countries all over the world, and from all professions, castes and creeds.
She was fortunate to come into direct contact with the world-famous Yoga Guru and codifier of the Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga system, Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj, the Madathipathy at Sri Kambliswami Madam, Thattanchavady, Pondicherry, at a young age and be accepted by him as his disciple, when she was only twelve years old. Thus, her association with classical spiritual and practical Yoga teachings in the Rishi Culture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga Tradition is not only a profession, but a life-long, commitment.
She is happily married to Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani who is a Yogacharya and Medical Doctor and they have one beautiful daughter, Dhivya Priya Bhavanani and wonderful son, Anandraj Bhavanani.
She can be contacted at :
Yoganjali Natyalayam,
25,2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar,
Pondicherry-13, India.
e mail: abb@doctor.com
