Dance benefits USF Bridge Clinic

Tampa, Florida — A local dance studio is rehearsing for one of its biggest productions. “It’s got a very interesting storyline; it’s so dramatic and theatrical,” said Shreya Narayanan, Co-Director of Shreya’s – An Expression of Dance Studio. Not only do they keep the tradition of Indian culture alive through theater, music and dance, but […]

BRIDGE Fundraiser

This is a package I did about a fundraiser that will take place in efforts to raise money for the BRIDGE Clinic. The funraiser is an Indian Classical dance entitled Dashavataram that will be held at Sickles High School. The proceeds will be going to the BRIDGE Clinic which is a clinic that is free […]

‘Bollywood Oscars’ visitors will find growing Indian-American community

When Pawan Rattan and his wife arrived in Tampa in 1982, they encountered few other people from India. If it happened, it was a thrill. “We would cross the street to meet somebody,” said Dr. Rattan, 65, born in the state of Punjab. The retired physician is no longer lonely for countrymen. The last U.S. […]

Divine Language of Dance

Shreya Narayanan is a 17-year-old Hillsborough High School senior who wants to go to NYU next year to study Broadcasting. But recently at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, she was the incarnation of Shiva – the Lord Nataraja, the Hindu God of Dance. From the moment she walks on stage, she commands our attention. She wears […]

Hindu god Krishna portrayed in complex dance

CITRUS PARK — The stories of the Hindu god Krishna will be told in splashes of vibrant colors and rhythmic music Saturday in an extraordinary classical dance called Sri Krishna Leela. Performing in the Bharatanatyam style that dates to 2000 B.C. in India, 28 members of a troupe from Carrollwood’s Shreyas An Expression of Dance […]

Tampa Dance Drama Draws Huge Audience

An entranced crowd of more than 600 witnessed “Dashavataram-A Magical Journey” presented by Shreyas-An Expression of Dance on June 1. The dance drama was the masterpiece of legendary dancer and actress Padmini Ramachandran, a leading actress who starred with Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil and Raj Kapoor in Hindi. Sheila Narayanan, a longtime student of Padmini […]

Indian culture comes alive

Shreya and Sheila Narayanan were inspired by songs, costumes and choreography ideas to produce the dance production “Samarpana.” And 41 members of the Shreyas Art Troupe will perform “Samarpana” from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Sickles High to show the progression of classical Indian dance. “It’s about the evolution of dance,” Sheila said. “It’s about […]

Traditional Indian dance brings Hindu scripture to life

On a recent Sunday morning at a studio on Gunn Highway, nine barefoot Indian dance students intently practiced for an upcoming performance. Dressed in colorful silk saris, the dancer’s rhythmic and deliberate leaps reverberated the floor. Bharatha Natyam is a theatrical form of dance dating back to 2000 B.C. with roots in classical Hindu scriptures, […]

Mother, daughter learn and dance together in Indian classical style

Aneetha Karthik danced in her native India for about four years as a child, but stopped when she was in sixth grade. So unlike many other Indian girls, Karthik never got to experience Arangetram, a traditional debut performance that is the culmination of years of intensive study. Until recently, that is. As her own daughter […]