BY RUCHIRA GHOSH

From the remote suburbs of Liluah near Kolkata to the national capital, Kuchipudi danseuse Ayana Mukherji has indeed come a long way. She works as a dance consultant with premier schools in and around the national capital. In her words, “Creating curriculum, capacity development of teachers, creating new methodology to teach classical dance in schools…” Besides regular public performances, she teaches dance in an art and welfare institution named ‘Dhrii’ (Sanskrit root verb meaning to hold, to sustain). She has many more achievements to her credit. Read on to discover:

Hailing from a lower middle-class family, life was no bed of roses for her. Her mother was the family’s sole breadwinner since her father was an artist with an erratic income. She attended a Bengali medium school, but ‘Dance’ was on her mind all the time. She recalls, “I had no formal training in dance to begin with, but our dance teachers at school hugely encouraged us to take up dance seriously. One of them, Shipra dii, motivated me to participate in intra-school and inter-school dance competitions. I did and was greatly lauded. Thence my journey began. I realized I should start formal training and learn in-depth.”

Why choose Kuchipudi? I enquire. Ayana retorts laughing, “I didn’t. It was Kuchipudi that chose me.” To join a professional course, she required basic fundamental training. Her family searched high and low for a tutor. A family friend’s daughter, who was learning Kuchipudi at the same university, helped her to find one. Ultimately, they zeroed in on Shri Mandro Chiral Vedantam Krishna, a Burmese by birth. Interestingly, he had mastered the art in Kuchipudi, the eponymous village in Andhra Pradesh. After finishing her 10th-grade board exams, the teenager Ayana plunged headlong into learning dance. About three months later, she secured admission into the prestigious Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, a dream come true! She completed her Pre-Degree and Degree in Kuchipudi from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. It was a moment of pride for her when she was awarded a UGC Scholarship for her distinction in Kuchipudi Arts from Rabindra Bharati University.

The journey didn’t stop there. She continued dancing under the tutelage of Padma Shree Guru Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao. The duo helped hone her skills so that she could emerge as a fine-tuned performer. She began to give extensive performances as a soloist and also as a leading dancer of Rasa United Productions under the stewardship of her mentor, Smt. Vanashree Rao.

Almost around the same time, the youthful lady underwent a two-year training stint at Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai, under Vempati Ravi Shankar and Srimayi Vempati.

Ayana’s list of memorable performances is mind-boggling! From the Khajuraho Dance Festival (2020, duet with Chhau) to Kamakhshi Dance Festival, Assam (2019, solo) to Bhasha Diwas at Bangladesh High Commission (2019, solo) to Nishagandhi Festival (2023, solo), followed by an ICCR tour to Australia, Nauru, and Jakarta as a lead dancer of ‘Rasa United’ (2023), she has been there and done that… and is still counting.

Ayana recalls what she terms as the most unforgettable moment of her dancing career. About two years ago, she participated in the celebrated production NRITYA VIRANGANA, conceptualized by the legendary (Padma Vibhushan) Dr. Sonal Mansingh. Therein she portrayed Muddupalani, the main character. Staged at the prestigious Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi, it was a combination of four path-breaking dancers who carved a niche for themselves through their courage, breaking down barriers of social orthodoxy through art.

How does she foresee the future of classical dances in India? Ayana says, “I believe it is a new dawn for the classical dance forms of India. This generation is looking at this art form from a different perspective, and many are taking up dance as their career.” She adds after a pause, “Although we need financial support from the government and philanthropists of our country to sustain and grow…”

My final question is: What has dance given you? What is its role in your life?

To this, she says, “Dance is my life… I breathe dance. I am nothing if dance is taken away from me… I want to give credit to my gurus, Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao, who have shown me the path of dance; especially Vanashree ji, who held my hand when I was going down in life. She was the one who gave me confidence and that’s why I was able to achieve my dreams.” She adds thoughtfully, “It has given EVERYTHING to me. I can only be grateful…”