Introduction

A dancer with a natural flair for the arts, Christina Shamala Prakanthan (Pakianathan), finds herself best while expressing through the classical idiom of Bharathanatyam. Beginning her training from the tender age of 2 ½ from her Guru, Smt. Husseini Hariram, a pupil of the Legend Padma Subramaniam, Christina continued her training from Smt. Anusha Tharmarajah, a postgraduate diploma holder from Kalakshetra. Thereafter, she was carefully chiseled and nurtured by Smt. Suryakala Jeevananthan, a Post Graduate Diploma Holder in Bharathanatyam from Bharathiya Kala Kendra, New-Delhi who is also the Founder of Shri Ram Shristi School of Dance in Colombo. In 2002, at the age of 15 she successfully did her Arangetram under Smt. Suryakala Jeevananthan.

What has impressed her teachers, is her genuine interest to learn and propagate the dance form and make sure that it is passed on to the next generation keeping in line with the tradition and at par with contemporary thoughts.

Born in a blended city as Colombo in Sri Lanka, her exposure in the arts has been splendid. This has opened doors to learning in various ways. Her parents, Capt. Hugh Vijayanathan and Mrs Jannet Pakianathan has been a lover of arts and a supporter of Christina’s endeavours.

Over the years she has honed her skills in allied arts. She has been a part of ‘Attakalari Centre for Movement Arts’, Bangalore and was trained by Ms.Hemabharathy Palani, a Bharathanatyam ,Kuchipudi and Contemporary dance performer.

Christina, a performer in her own right, now runs a school, Natyatharu School of Dance with students from across Western Melbourne who take great pride in learning the nuances of Bharatanatyam from her.

Christina imparts knowledge in Nattuvangam and Abhinaya under the Danseuse Smt. Indira Kadambi (Chennai)

She is also trained in Carnatic Vocal Music under Smt. Arundhathi Sriranganathan at the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo and today she practices under the Smt. Sivaganga Sahadevan (Chandrabanu’s Bharathalaya Academy, Melbourne)

Presently she is pursuing MFA (Bharathanatyam) under Madras University (Class of 2018) and is being mentored by Dr Lakshmi Ramaswamy (India’s first Fulbright Fellow in Bharatanatyam and Founder- Director of Sri Mudhraalaya, Chennai.

Christina, gets guidance from her Guru Smt.Suryakala Jeevananthan (lecturer – Annamalai University, Canada Campus)

Knowledge Base

School education has contributed a lot in her overall perspective. St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo set her base that was taken forward with her Bachelors in Computer Applications (BCA) from Dayananda Sagar College of Information Technology, Bangalore. Christina has also achieved a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), specialising in Human Resources Management under The University of Wales, UK.

Coupled to all this, she also has a diploma in Speech and Drama at the Institute of Music, Speech and Speaking Skills, Colombo, Sri-Lanka (IMSSS) under the guidance of Mrs. Kamini Perera ( 2005). she has also equipped herself with the basics of Kalaripayattu.

The strong academic foundation has given Christina an extra edge to understand and present her dance.

She puts together her knowledge base and is now pursuing a strong mission to make a mark in a continent far away from home.

Achievements

Balancing her academics and dancing career, Christina has come out with flying colours time and again. To propagate her mission to spread Indian art and culture in Australia, Christina has been tirelessly working for the past few years. She has to her credit being a participant of several performances, workshops and Dance Competitions. She has been conferred the title ‘Natya Vishaaradha’, from the ‘Bhathkande Sangeeth Vidhyapeet’, Lucknow at the age of 13. Has performed and assisted her Guru Smt. Suryakala during the Workshops at the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo and Kandy.

  • Elected President of the Bharatanatya Acharya Association of Victoria Australia (BAAVA Inc.) which conducts annual examinations in Bharatanatyam and was founded by Smt. Shanthy Rajendran and Smt. Usha Padmanathan, senior teachers of Melbourne. (2017- Present)
  • Was honoured as the ‘Artist of the year 2016’ by the Senior Citizens Benovalent Association of Victoria, Australia.
  • Has received the ‘Outstanding Achievers Award’ in the subject of ‘Organisational Development’ – MBA, for topping across 4 campuses of TASMAC Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and London in 2010.
  • Has been a Semi-Finalist in the Reality TV show ‘Dhimithakatha’ – Season 1, hosted by Shakthi TV in 2004.
  • Was in the Top 5 Dancers of the 1st Naatiya Mazil Dance competition, Colombo, Sri-Lanka in 2004.
  • Received the ‘Outstanding Achievers Award’ for Dance for performing well in the Bharatanatyam Final Examinations throughout the High School years in 2003.
  • Was a Gold Medallist in the “Solo” Bharatanatyam at the Sri-Lankan British Arts Festival held in Colombo during the years 2002, and 2003.
  • Acted in a Documentary based on Culture and Bharathanatyam for the BBC TV production under the able guidance of Smt. Suryakala Jeevananthan in 1999.
  • 1st Runner Up in the Western Province Dance Competition, Sri-Lanka (1997).
  • Acted in a UNICEF TV commercial based on the country’s civilian war. (1995).

Workshops/Performances

Performed for the Tsunami Aid show in 2004 to support the Children and the devastated families in the Northern part of Sri-Lanka.

Has performed for the (Former) President of Sri-Lanka Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga at the Centenary Prize Giving Day of St. Bridget’s Convent 2002 at the BMICH.

Christina has also performed extensively in notable events of Melbourne making her country proud. Some of the notable ones are Taste of India (2016), Senior Citizens Association programmes & Diwali Festival organised by Multicultural Victoria held at the Immigration Museum (2017).

Have attended workshops conducted by eminent Dance Artists – to name a few : Rama Vaidhyanathan, Leela Samson, Priyadarshini Govind, Pradeepa Prahalad, Dhananjayans , Mallika Sarabhai et. al.