Photos: Jeweled Tradition
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
A striking pose: Ananya Dixit, left, and Kritika Roy perform a dance about the Hindu deity Lord Venkateshwara — an incarnation of Vishnu — on Nov. 16 onstage at the Hindu Cultural Center in Colonie. Bharatanatyam classical dance, said teacher Sujatha Sharath, is popular among Indian families as “their way to stay connected to our culture and make sure kids learn about our culture.” She also has some students who are not of Indian descent, she said.
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Sparkling: On the floor near the door to the stage, Veda Nandikam and other dancers in costume, ready for their own performances, watch younger girls dance onstage Nov. 16 at the Hindu Cultural Center in Colonie. Teacher Sujatha Sharath said boys and men can also perform classical dance, but she currently has no male students.
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Poise: Myra Gupta, who is 6 years old, looks confidently at the camera during a practice on Nov. 16 before a performance. She and a group of other girls performed a dance about Lord Ganesha, an elephant-headed deity. “We always seek his blessings first,” Sharath said of Ganesha, “to help us run an event smoothly.”
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Precision: Sujatha Sharath applies eyeliner in a mirror before the start of her dance school’s annual showcase at the Hindu Cultural Center in Colonie on Nov. 16. Sharath also performed in several dances that day, together with other women. Some of her students, she said, are mothers who would have liked to learn when they were younger but were unable to; they now study alongside their daughters, she said.
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Like a mirror: In the hallway alongside the stage, Bhargavi Ramamurthy, left, prepares to draw details with white makeup on the forehead of sister dancer Shruti Kamat. Dancers wear not just earrings but also gold jewelry around the crown of their heads and draped over their foreheads.
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Anticipation: Young girls wait in a hallway just offstage for their turn to perform at the annual showcase of classical and semi-classical dance by the Narthanalaya School of Arts on Nov. 16. The event was a riot of sparkling color.