It is said consciousness expresses itself through the creation and that dance is the hidden language of the soul- and keeping this in mind, Ananthika is a multi-lingual composer of beauty through the arts.
She gets to her position on stage, dressed ornately in saffron, green and gold. Her eyes are heavily lined and her long braided tresses secured under her bejewelled belt. She assumes the Aramandalam position and seems to have an undeniable sense of calm on her face. As the music begins, her hands come alive with mudras, her expressions change and she begins to narrate a story- without words. She doesn’t seem to miss her beat and her perfection lies in the fact that never once during the whole performance, does the sense of calm seem to be wiped off her face- no matter what she emotes, it resonates and her passion for the artform is perspicuous. Ananthika Sanilkumar is a spectacular multifaceted Indian classical dancer.
While she has trained professionally in the classical forms of Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyatam and Kuchipudi, as well as contemporary styles, Ananthika’s personal favourite remains the vibrant Keralite dance form of Kathakali. She was trained in Kathakali by Kalanilayam Gopi Aashaan and can perform purushavesha and sthreevesha both, with ease and grace! Her delicate movements with spectacular expressions breathes life into the characters she plays, making her performances all the more special. She has been dancing since the age of 5 and her expertise shines through in every successive performance.
Ananthika has secured the Central Cultural Ministry’s CCRT Scholarship for junior and young artists, a testament to her talents and skill. She has been a participant in several dance competitions from school to district to zonal levels and is often seen performing contemporary routines on TV. Choreography comes naturally to her too, as a result of her years of dancing.
Hailing from Kerala’s cultural capital Thrissur, this young classical dancer’s talents are not restricted to the arts, but extends to martial arts and sports as well! While dance renders flexibility to her movements, a lot of it can also be attributed to being a Vadakkan Kalari practitioner, trained by Attakalari graduated Santhosh Madhav. She also has the 2nd dan black belt in Karate under the tutelage of Shri Renshi Eswaran too. She has also begun training for Tabla and is an excellent volleyball player too!
This eighth-grader from the Carmel Central School is not only multi-talented when it comes to the arts but is a high-ranker when it comes to academics too.
It is said consciousness expresses itself through the creation and that dance is the hidden language of the soul- and keeping this in mind, Ananthika is a multi-lingual composer of beauty through the arts.
This article has been written by Neha Nambiar.
