Nartan School Of Classical Dances

Nartan School Of Classical Dances Smt. Smita Shastri Started taking intensive and authentic training in Bharatanatyam from the early age of 4 year.She did her Arangetram in 1962 under the brilliant tutelage of great Guru Shri. Kitappa Pillai, and great performer & Guru Shri Chatunni Paniker at Darpana Academy Ahmedabad.She won many prizes. She won consecutively for three years first prize in classical dance event in youth festival organized by Gujarat University. She won first prize in classical dance event in 9 th All India inter-university youth festival held in Delhi in 1964. She underwent an intensive training in temple dances in Kuchipudi style from 1963 under the great guru Shri. C.R. Acharyalu. She was the only Kuchipudi dancer in Gujarat for few years. Impressed by her Sincerity, Commitment, Dedication & Devotion, her guru Shri. C.R. Acharyalu (Disciple of the greatest guru shri. Vedantam Laxminarayan Shastriji) started teaching her the rare & unique items known as “Ganesh Kavutvam”, “Mayura Kavutvam”, “Simhanandini Nrityam” and “Mahalaxmi Udbhavam” (Alaya Nrutyams). These items are very difficult to master and there are even very few dancers who are trained to perform them. There are some other dance items “Sandhya Tandavam”, “Manduka Shabdam”, “Ashtapadis” and others which she learnt to perfection from her vidwan Guru Shri C.R. Acharyalu. She started her Nartan School of Classical Dances in 1971, imparting intensive and authentic training in Kuchipudi & Bharatanatyam dance styles. In these 41 years as a teacher she has given the graduation “Nrity Tirth” to more then 200 disciples. About 100 students have graduated in Kuchipudi dance styles from her Nartan School of Classical Dances.Since 1980, she has organized 19 “Dikshant Samaroh” presenting more than 100 students in Kuchipudi style of dance.Smita does not accept any thing as a “Guru Dakshina”.Smita alone has worked tirelessly to propagate Kuchipudi with complete commitment and now has more than 25 Kuchipudi dancers actively performing.Her senior disciples Smt. Rita Chokshi in Surat and Smt. Ritu Daga in Kansas city U.S.A. imparts training in Kuchipudi dance for many years.To encourage and inspire the Kuchipudi & Bharatanatyam dancers of Gujarat and to be able to make some mark in their respective field. She has introduced a classical dance competition for the age group of 16 to 24 years. “Lila Mukut Nartan Vijaypadma” is successfully conducted since 2007. Winners of this event gets to perform for Doordarshan Kendra, Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Academy’s “Kal-Ke-Kalakar” festival and others with the recommendation of Nartan Institute of Performing Arts – a registered charitable trust. Smt. Smita Shastri is managing trustee of this trust.