Goan Bharatanatyam dancer Kshitija Barve from Porvorim has been selected to perform at the 10-day annual Taj Mahotsav in Agra, organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh. In conversation with NT BUZZ Kshitija who will be presenting a solo Bharatanatyam recital on February 21 at 7 p.m. on the main stage of Taj Mahostav gives an insight into her life
VENITA GOMES | NT BUZZ
Despite being a versatile dancer and having performed at various national level events, Kshitija Barve did not get the required recognition for her work and talent from the Goa government. She taught as lecturer of Bharatnatyam at Kala Academy for almost 17 years, quite inconspicuously and did not stop herself from escalading great heights of success. She continued working on enhancing her dance skills and imparting knowledge of dance to others.
Today, her efforts have paid off and Kshitija has been invited to perform at the 10-day Taj Mahostav that takes place in Agra. It is a unique festival that invokes the memories of old Mughal era and nawabi style prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries. “I have been performing at several festivals outside the state and this time I am even more excited because I got a chance to perform at Taj Mahostav, Agra. It is a rare occasion and hope all things go well; fingers crossed,” says Kshitija, who holds a PhD in dance.
Over the years, Kshitija trained under stalwarts to hone her dancing skills. She was a disciple of Padmabhushan Kanak Rele, late Thangamani Nagarajan and Ambika Viswanathan. Kshitija has also awarded the coveted title of ‘Singar Mani’ from Sur Singar Sansad, Mumbai.
Kshitija enjoys performing in Goa and she waits for a chance to show her love for dance to Goan audience, she says: “Over ten years ago, I performed in Goa for a festival; that must be somewhere in 1996. But after that rarely I got chance to perform in Goa. I had also appealed to Kala Academy to allow me to conduct Bharatnatyam dance classes but sadly there was no reply from them. I love my motherland and wish to do my part for the state.”
This 47-year-old dancer also topped the Masters in Fine Arts in Bharatanatyam at Mumbai University. She later pursued her doctorate (PhD) in dance and her PhD thesis was on ‘The influence of Vishistadvaita and the Bhakti Movement in Bharatnatyam’. Kshitija is also the recipient of National Scholarship of Department of Culture, Government of India. She has to her credit four Arangetran’s of her disciples. Besides, she also imparts online training to her students. “Dance is something that is very close to me. It is a unique form of expression and I wish to impart this knowledge to many, so that the youngsters get encouraged to take up dance as a career option and raise the standard of art and culture in the state,” says Kshitija.
In 2017, Kshitija gave solo performances at various platforms and festivals including Uttarardh Mahotsav at Modhera Sun Temple – Gujarat, Pt Jitendra Abhsiheki Mahotsav – Pune, India International Shravan Mahotsav at ICCR Bhavan – New Delhi, Uttaradhikar Mahotsav series at Bhopal, Amravati Nrityotsav at Vijaywada (AP), Shishirachhanda Mahotsav at Bengaluru and Girijadevi Aradhana Music Festival at Ahmedabad.
Stating that all her performances are memorable and close to her heart, she also mentions one such performance. She says: “I had a 50-minute duration performance at Leh, Ladakh located at spectacular altitude of approximately 11,562 feet above sea level, organised by Jammu Kashmir Academy of Art and Culture. It was an amazing performance that is very close to my heart.” She has also performed at Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan and Kal Ke Kalakar Sammelan at Mumbai, Monte Music Festival in Goa organised by Fundacao Oriente, Goa Mahotsav at Aurangabad, Classical Music and Dance Festival at Jaipur, Nrityanjali Festival at Satara.
Her upcoming performances are scheduled at Nagpur Festival in March 2018 along with other celebrated artists like Arushi Mudgal, Sharvari Jamenis and Sonia Parchure and in April 2018 at Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.
For Kshitija her day is most enjoyable when she is thinking of dance. She says: “My day goes in practicing, reading about dance, conducting dance classes and it’s nice to associate yourself with something you love and make your own identity and niche in the same.”