Leaders
To many, dance is only an art. In reality, dance is much more. It’s an art, a way to express one’s self, a way to exercise and a sport. There are many dance forms in India, coming from different states. These classical or folk dances of India are not mere body movements but it is also considered as a way of devoting oneself to God through art. Bharatnatyam is one of the oldest and traditional form of classical dance in India from which other dance forms are believed to have been originated. It is performed on the tunes of Carnatic music and encompasses music, rhythm and expressions. Bharatnatyam originated around 1000 BCE and was performed by the women in the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu.
Bharatnatyam is a popular dance form not just in India but also abroad. Meera Mani, a Bharatnatyam teacher, established Lasya Priya Fine Arts with an aim to provide training in classical dance to people and promote Indian art form in Germany.
Meera Mani started learning Bharatnatyam at the age of six from the likes of great Rama Murthy and later from guru Uma Rama Rao to obtain a certificate. She actively participated in choreography, folk dance and dance drama during her school days. Hailing from a family of teachers, she herself has been teaching Bharatnatyam for the last 25 years in India and Germany.
In an exclusive interview with the Women Entrepreneur magazine team, Meera Mani talks about her passion to take Indian classical dance to a global stage through Lasya Priya Fine Arts.
Give us a brief overview of Lasya Priya Fine Arts.
Lasya Priya Fine Arts is a dance and music school in Karlsruhe, Germany. Lasya Priya Fine Arts was a dream name for me, ‘Lasya’ means Goddess Lalitha Devi in the form of music and dance and ‘Priya’ means love for dance. It was started with the vision to promote the Indian art form through a school which is rich in culture and heritage. We offer systematic training, theory education and are also associated with Oriental Examination Board London (OEBL) which conducts public examinations in fine arts. Currently, Lasya Priya Fine Arts is training more than 60 students.
Tell us the idea behind the establishment of Lasya Priya Fine Arts? What are some of the challenges you faced as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome it?
Lasya Priya Fine Arts was founded in 2004 with a primary objective of promoting and propagating Bharatnatyam dance, Carnatic music, and Bollywood dance.
Students also gain extensive knowledge in fundamentals of other classical dance forms, folk dances and music to develop a strong foundation essential for becoming a true exponent and choreographer of the powerful language of Indian traditional and contemporary art.
"Lasya priya fine art, taking indian art form through bharatnatyam to an international pedestal"
In Germany, the challenges faced are different. Every student here starts with a great interest in Bharatnatyam but there is a clash between two different cultures. So, it is not easy to create an interest in Indian art in every individual but we are trying to overcome this through a lot of counseling. Another challenge that the students face is the inability to practice at home as all Indian dance forms have feet-stamping and most of the houses do not allow that here. So, major part of the practice has to be done at the dance studio.
How has the Indian art and culture evolved internationally? What are some of the significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey?
International community has always been attracted by the Indian art and culture because of our rich heritage, mythological stories and the bright colorful clothes. In the recent years, art and culturehas evolved exponentially as there are more Indians in Germany than before. They are also more aware of their culture through the promotional events and charitable shows that Lasya Priya Fine Arts organizes.
Our students put up stage performances regularly for organizations at prestigious events. Lasya Priya Fine Arts participates in many international events and is associated with the German government to promote art culture and businesses. Lasya Priya Fine Arts was also recently selected to perform the invocation dance during the Indian PM’s visit. We have also been recognized to present the biggest ever show, Ramayana, in association with The Consulate General of India, Munich.
What message would you like to send out to the young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?
I want to encourage all women who want to learn Bharatnatyam, especially those women who could not complete their trainings to join us. There is no age for learning, if you are passionate about something. I am inspired by Swami Vivekanand’s word which says - “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
Meera Mani, Founder & Director, Lasya Priya Fine Arts
Meera Mani has over 25 years of teaching experience in both India and Germany. She is the founder and director of Lasya Priya Fine arts, which is a dance school in Karlsruhe, Germany. She has staged several performances at events and won many accolades for the same. Most recently, Lasya Priya Fine Arts was selected to present the epic, Ramayana, in association with The Consulate General of India, Munich. Meera Mani is the Managing Director of CVR UG.
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