A DANCE school has been showcasing its students’ talent at its annual performance night.
Maaya School of Dance and Arts held its seventh annual showcase at Hummersknott School, Darlington.
It was the first show of its kind to take place in Darlington and was attended by mayor Cyndi Hughes.
Guru Roopali Gopal, who has been teaching classical South Asian dance for almost 30 years, set up the school in 2015.
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She teaches bharathanatyam – an important focal point of Indian culture – to all ages, from four to 60.
Students have been practising every day in preparation for the performance.
She said: “Bharathanatyam holds a most important point in Indian culture.
“Over the centuries, inventions and creativity have moulded it, without changing the original purpose and principle into a spiritual, divine, and a meaningful addition.
“It is such an illustrious dance form- more than looking at it as just dance – there are many other life lessons we learn from it – mindfulness, commitment, diligence.
“It is one of the holiest art forms. It entails far more than simply shaking your hands and legs. Bharathanatyam allows you to express your thoughts and emotions without having to speak.
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“Dancers were once thought to be God's messengers because they could convey a wide range of emotions and narrate history or a story in an engaging way.”
Among the dances performed were Pushpanjali – an offering of flowers by the dancer, Adhta Laxmi, a group of eight manifestations of Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, and Aadu Pambe, the dance of the snake.
The show highlight was Shiva Stuti - A hymn in praise of Lord Shiva.
Dancers for the evening were Dr Naveen, Ganapriya, Dr Mamatha, Nirmala, Dr Sangeetha, Parneeka, Anjana, Deepika, Greetha, Greeshma, Sahana, Sienna, Navya, Dhanvi, Maseeha, Geetika.
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