Girls break records by dancing Bharatanatyam for 35 hours

 

These dancers from Sri Rathakrishanan Music & Arts Centre were among 36 others who put on an enchanting, 35-hour Barathanatyam performance. (Sri Rathakrishanan pic)

SHAH ALAM: It goes without saying that dance is an art form built on finesse and stamina. From memorising complex choreography to withstanding the physicality involved, professional dancers are in a league of their own.

So, imagine then the resilience it takes to prepare and present a 35-hour, non-stop dance performance.

Well, this is exactly what a group of 36 Malaysian dancers did recently, breaking both national and international records in the process.

The amazing feat began at 8am on May 1 and came to a magnificent finale at 7pm on May 2, during an event called Suaranatya.

The event was organised by Pertubuhan Kesenian & Kebudayaan SRFA, as well as the Sri Rathakrishanan Music & Arts Centre.

The talented female dancers hail from the Sri Rathakrishanan Music & Arts Centre, founded and led by principal Nalini Rathakris.

For their efforts, the troupe was awarded a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for the “Longest Non-stop Traditional Dance Relay” and “Most Number of All-Women Participants in a 24- Hour Barathanatyam Relay”.

They also earned an entry into the Asia Book of Records for the “Longest Non-Stop Traditional Dance Relay.”

To learn more about their accomplishment, FMT recently spoke to three of Nalini’s senior dancers involved in the record-breaking performance.

The dancers prepared for the performance with online courses provided by the centre’s principal, Nalini Rathakris. (Sri Rathakrishanan pic)

Expressing her pride over her troupe’s achievement, Teesha Nanthini, 16, attributed their success to principal Nalini, who conceptualised the dance.

“When she told us about it, we were all pretty shocked. We had no idea how we were going to attempt such a performance during the pandemic,” she said.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Teesha recalled that none of the dancers were very convinced they could pull off such a feat.

“But with all the encouragement and motivation we received from Nalini, we eventually grew excited to be part of such a prestigious event.”

Teesha also added that she and her fellow dancers were proud to have helped preserve Indian culture through the arts.

“Barathanatyam is one of the oldest dance forms, originating from South India. Because of modernisation, we must preserve it especially for the younger generation,” said Teesha.

Her 22-year-old senior colleague, Mahalakshmi Sukumaran was keen to note the 15-year-old Sri Rathakrishanan Music & Arts Centre was no stranger to success.

“This isn’t the first time that our centre has made headlines. We have participated in and won numerous local dance competitions over the years,” she said.

But given the strenuous physical challenges, how could the dancers put on a show for 35 hours straight?

From school students to working adults, the dancers’ ages varied from eight to 40 years old. (Sri Rathakrishanan pic)

Seasoned dancer, Harrshini Kalaivaanan, 16, explained what went on backstage and how the group was careful not to overexert their members.

“The 35 hours were on a relay basis; each dancer performed back-to-back,” she said.

As the main criteria by MBR was that the stage was never to be left empty, the troupe strategically presented a string of solo performances back-to-back. This allowed all the dancers to rest and recuperate.

“We had participants as young as eight years old too. Their attention span is very short and they can get rather restless, so we had a lot of activities backstage to occupy them,” added Teesha.

Given that the CMCO was in place during the event, principal Nalini managed to train her dancers via online classes and the performance itself was executed according to the necessary SOPs and guidelines.

The lack of a physical audience was a somewhat sobering but necessary requirement, though the troupe made sure to broadcast their performance on their social media pages.

They are, however, still proud of what they have accomplished and the troupe is looking forward to future projects that have to remain under wraps for now.

“We are very certain of the quality, effort and dedication that we put into our performances,” said Teesha.

“Once the pandemic is over, we would love the public to support us by purchasing tickets, watching our shows and telling others about the hard work we put into our performances.” - FMT