Manjeeram Academy of Fine Arts----ODE: July Issue 2009

In the year 2004 Archana established Manjeeram Academy of Fine Arts. Manjeeram is a distinctive derivative from Manjeera which is a synonym to Lord Shiva’s ankle bells. Manjeera produces a rhythmic tinkling sound whose pitch varies according to their size, weight and material of their construction. Manjeera is a basic component without which the art form of dancing is incomplete and unimaginable.

Manjeeram – an institution inspired with the greatest traditions already set in this field has come into being in Hyderabad fully conceiving the notion – “some expressions have no words” and established with the profound aim of being the torchbearer of the rich Indian traditional art form across boundaries and to uphold the flame flare continuously.

Manjeeram’s terpsichorean journey commenced with Classical presentations in Fusion music. The Institute currently focuses on displaying its commitment to artistic excellence through Classical presentations, Lecture Demonstrations, and expounding Management philosophies through Dance.

I happened to catch with Archana and the first question I asked her was if she would like to say anything about herself before I continued with the interview. This is what Archana had to say.

"I do not have students, as I am a freelance trainer (Leadership Skills and placement Fit and other soft skills) and also give training programs under Leadership through Dance, I am hardly left with any time to concentrate on classes and I do not believe in imparting knowledge under pressure"

Here is how our short chat had shaped up.

What is it that Manjeeram has and the other academies dont?
----Vision - And the necessary actions taken to translate objectives in to goals. Credibility, Wholesome understanding of learning, As I am post graduate in both Dance (Bharatanatyam) and management I give a practical orientation to every thought translated in to dance which might not be there with other academies. I can teach and counsel simultaneously. manjeeram believes in Team work, It gives credit to everyone to what ever contribution done and it is the team that gets projected thus propelling me indirectly.

Tell us about the ethical structure that strongly supports the academy and more importantly your beliefs?
----It begins with the last line of previous answer, manjeeram believes in Team work, It gives credit to everyone to what ever contribution done and it is the team that gets projected thus propelling me indirectly and it hence ends with one word TRANSPERANCY.

How do you see yourself, the form of dance and the the academy five years down the line?
----I begin with the Academy, Will definitely get my business plan ready to establish an Integrated school in andhra Pradesh, Dance form (bharatanatyam) - through manjeeram it would get a renaissance that Bharatanatyam is not only for Connoisseurs but also for laymen and it would begin reaching the interiors (Rurals) and it would definetely prove that dance is a subject in itself that enables in a childs wholesome development and deserves a status to be made a compulsory subject in the curriculum in schools and not an extra curricular activity. one inch broader chest with the sense of accomplishment in trying to get closer to my vision :-)

Archana has numerous significant performances up her sleeve. As a student in Kalakshetra, Archana participated in most of the dance productions of the institute. She has also performed at the prestigious Natyanjali dance festival in Perur. Apart from being a magnificent dancer, Archana also donned the roles of conceptualizer and co-choreographer for ‘Tatvam’ – a dance ballet on the five elements of nature, staged at Hyderabad. Owing to her flair for writing, Archana penned the narratives for ‘Sujalam Sufalam’ – a dance performance on the theme of water conservation. Archana also bagged the opportunity to perform at The International Dance Alliance (IDA), Bangalore and at the colossal fest organized by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for ‘Secunderabad 200 years celebration’. Archana has also staged remarkable dance performances for innumerable shows held at Thiygaraja Gana Sabha, Hari Hara Kala Bhavan and Ravindra Bharati – the art epicenters of Hyderabad.

A danseuse, par excellence, Archana has an equally impressive corporate dossier to her credit, as she has successfully rendered myriad performances to top notch corporates. Using her management degree to her advantage, Archana carved a niche for herself, by composing and presenting various innovative themes, which were a blend of dance and corporate philosophies.

Archana indited the concept dance - a language, an expression and walk of life, which she performed for ITC, one of India's most valuable and respected corporations and received immense appreciation. She also had the opportunity to perform for ‘Colours of India’, a show organized by ITC that brought together different styles of dance on a single platform.

Archana’s dance performance - ‘Leadership in Dance’ brought her immense acclaim at Satyam’s School of Leadership. Not only was this concept well appreciated, but Satyam also integrated this as a part of their training curriculum for almost all the training programmes that followed. As a pioneer in conceptualizing ‘Leadership in Dance’, Satyam’s School of Leadership honored Archana, with the FLCL (Full Life Cycle Leader) Award.

Ashoka was a dance ballet that was presented by the group. To effectively and successfully present a dance ballet on Ashoka, their first effort towards this creative task was to firstly understand how this Monarch earned the name of Ashoka the Great.

"Art and culture are inseparable aspects of human life. Art is the reflection of human culture and it lives through the ages tracing human developments. So, art is vital to human existence and through this it speaks the history of mankind. Believing that Art is for noble actions and the power it has to influence people in conveying even the strongest and pivotal message with ease, we attempt taking this message of Ashoka the Great through this presentation", is what Archana has to say when I had asked to emphasize on her vision and the drive that led her to compose this dance ballet.

Archana further says, "All that it takes to realize Ashoka’s Dhammapada is ATTITUDE which is not trainable. However, we promise to alter the minds of the people by altering the attitudes of the minds of the people through our Ashoka to achieve a world where every living being lives in happiness, contentment, peace, and perfection because attitude determines altitude"

"Dancers are the athletes of God" is what Albert Einstein had once quoted and quite believably too. For Archana, its been many things but her vision is one thing that has remained and if not already she is definitely incing closer to her goals that she had set years ago.