:: INDIAN DANCE FUSION
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Urvashi Shobana & troupe
Shobana is a celebrated actress who has won the Indian National best actress award
(and hence the title Urvashi) twice and is also an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer
who runs a dance school who has worked on collaborative ventures with the likes
of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Mandolin Srinivas. Shobana
has performed extensively across the world as well as in several Music and Dance
Festivals in India. As a Bhartanatyam dancer, Shobana is renowned for her fine dedication
to the classical art form. She is known to possess an exquisite understanding of
the Abhinaya, a clarity of line and a strong rhythmic command of the idiom.In 1994,
Shobana founded Kalarpana with the objective of committing herself to the propagation
of the classical arts. She has won innumerable national and international accolades
in her illustrious dual interests of dance as well as acting!
Some of her long list of accolades include the following
Awarded first prize at the Pongal festival by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha 1990
Natya Ratna (Awarded by Deccan Fine Arts, Secundrabad) 1992
Natya Jothi (Awarded by Indian Fine Arts, Australia) 1994
Yuva Kala Bharthi (Awarded by Bharat Kalachar) 1995
Natya Mayuri 1995 Bharata Kalaratna (Awarded by Bharathalaya) 1996
Nadana Mamani (Awarded by Karthik Fine Arts) 1997
Ugadi Purskhar 1998
Best Child Artists Award (Devar Virudhu) Mangala Nayaki 1979
Film Critics Best New Face Award (April 18th) 1984
Nana Gallipol Best New Face Award (April 18th) 1984
Best Actress Cinema Express (Rareeram) 1986
Best Actress Film Fare (Ayiram Kanugal) 1986
Best Actress Film Fare (Innalae) 1990
Best Actress Kerala State Government (Manichitra Thazhu) 1993
National Best Actress Award (Manichitra Thazhu) 1993
Kumudam Lux Award (Manichitra Thazhu) 1994
Best Actress Film Fare (Thenmavin Kombathu) 1994
Woman of the year 1994
Best Actress Film Fans (Sindhoora Rekha) 1995
Cinema Express (Mazhay Ethumunbe) 1995
Sriram International Excellence Award in the field of Cinema 1995
Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Cinema Malayalee Club 1995
Nana Popular 1995
Bharata Kalaratna (Awarded by Bharathalaya) 1996
Nadana Mamani (Awarded by Karthik Fine Arts) 1997
Ugadi Purskhar 1998
National Best Actress Award (Mitr - My Friend) 2002
Born into a family of dancers committed to the arts, Shobana is the niece of the
legendary classical dancers - Travancore Sisters - Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini.
It is only natural that Shobana followed in their footsteps starting her training
in Bharatanatyam at a very early age.
Later, under the guidance of the distinguished exponent of Bharatanatyam Chitra
Visweswaran, Shobana's dedication to this art form was further honed kindling a
commitment beyond the ordinary. In 1984 after five years of intensive study at the
Chidambaram Academy, Madras, she made her debut on stage proving her inherent gift
as a fine dancer. Since then she has continued to perform to audiences of connoisseurs
both in India and abroad. Shobana has performed in Kuala Lumpur before the King
and Queen of Malaysia. Her dance tours have taken her all over U.S.A, Europe, the
whole of Southeast Asia and Australia.
Shobhana's skilled execution of dance movements and her extraordinary beauty has
led many people to consider her as the most beautiful South Indian actress from
the 1980s through the 1990s. She is often equaled to the curvaceous beauty of South
Indian sculptures.
Shobana and her troupe of outstanding dancers from Kalarpana will be performing
for their very first full length dance performance in Singapore for this event.
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