"Divya - Pride of the Preceptors......" - V.P & Shanta Dhananjayan

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Abhinaya (expression) and Lasya (grace) epithets that define the essential artiste in Divya – a rare alchemy of rich tradition and sublime gift, Divya evokes the lost ethos of a discerning purist. Graceful in movement and studious in approach, Divya’s total and complete immersion in her art elevate a focused pursuit to fluid poetry. A lovelorn Nayika or a longing Bhakta, Divya’s Abhinaya is effortless and echoes with subtle yet communicative detail. Endowed with all the essential qualities for a BharataNaatyam dancer, Divya has carved a niche in the minds of the vintage connoisseurs.

Divya’s growing years as a dancer were steeped in the classical and unyielding heritage of her Gurus, ‘The Dhananjayans’. Her legacy stems from Bharata Kalanjali, Chennai, an august institution founded by her Gurus steeped in the tradition of the illustrious Kalakshetra. An innately absorbed performer, her art is a consummate marriage of rigorous grounding and deep meditative personal interpretation. From this artistic blend arises a vibrant repertoire as expressive as a canvas in classicism. And as the delicate miens of her character unfold, Divya arrests the imagination of the sensitive aesthete. Her dancing is considered "a poem where every movement is an unwritten word".

Divya's journey through this unique art form started at the age of four. Ever since her Arangetram (maiden solo performance) at the age of seven, in December 1987, her exciting and enriching search for excellence stimulated her urge for perfection. Her passion for this subtle and sophisticated South Indian Dance form, Bharata Naatyam, has molded her into an entrancing dancer. It's timeless and profound form helped her bask in its rich facets of Nritta and Abhinaya (the pure and expressive respectively), giving her body body expressions an intense, perfect and stylistic accessibility, extolled by the critics and connoisseurs alike. The myriad shades of versatility of Bharata Naatyam are being explored by Divya in her adaptation to its rudiments to contemporary choreography, making her dance be described as a perfect deliniation of life. She strongly believes that - "Dance is the hidden language of the soul" - Martha Graham

 

"Divya is one of our prized disciples who has excelled in the field of BharataNaatyam. Endowed with all essential qualities and qualifications for a BharataNaatyam dancer, Divya has carved a niche in the minds of the classical connoisseurs...." - The Dhananjayans.'

 

In the Dhananjayans own words "A rare phenomena found in Divya is that she excels in her performances and is equally proficient in her imparting!" She has been a faculty member at her Alma Mater Bharata Kalanjali for several years; and has been acclaimed as one of the best tutors that the institution has witnessed till date. She currently spends her time between India and USA where she is based in San Diego, California and runs her own dance institution.

Divya's knowledge of music aggrandizes her dance as rhythm and melody form a perfect unison. Her knowledge of Indian Classical Carnatic Music is noteworthy. Paralleling her artistic passion is her academic quest, which helped her become a seeker and researcher. She has a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Madras, India and a Masters from University of Southern California, USA.