One of the most vivacious dancers to have performed at the recently concluded 10th Girnar Festival of Music and Dance at Junagadh, near Rajkot in Gujarat, was the Ahmedabad based Kuchipudi dancer, Jhanvi Ambalia. Infact Jhavi was also among the youngest to have participated in this national festival.
Jhanvi is the disciple of renowned Kuchipudi and Bharata Natyam exponent, Guru Smita Shastri. The 10th Girnar Festival of Music and Dance at Junagadh was held from 1st to the 5th December 2023. This annual festival of classical music and dance attracts the attention of performers from all over the country and abroad.
For over nine years Jhanvi has been passionately associated with Kuchipudi In 2021 Jhanvi successfully presented her Arangetram and ever since Jhanvi has been performing for several prestigious occasions, in the presence of our Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of UK, Mr Boris Johnson, Mauritius Prime Minister Mr Pravind Jugnath and has been a first ranker for competitions held by Kala Mahakumbh, International Multi Lingual Cultural Festival in Cuttack, World Dance Day, organised by NCN Kalashetram, Bangkok International Youth Festival, Bhagirath Utsav, the list is endless. Jhanvi has also received the Special Jury Award, presented by Thillana School of Music and Dance, New Delhi. Besides the execution of the technique precisely, it is her agility as a performer and a natural command over expressions, that makes her performances outstanding.
Director of Nartan School of Classical Dances, SNA Awardee, Guru Smita Shastri says "I am happy to state that Jhanvi and other disciples of mine have won prizes in several competitions and that is really gratifying and satisfying for me to see them doing well. I hope they continue to dance with same of passion and zeal, my best wishes to them".
At the Girnar Festival, Jhanvi performed Manduka Sabdam and Balalgopala Tarangam, dancing on the rim of the brass plate with rhythmic accuracy, winning the appreciation from the audience. May you continue to dance with the same amount of enthusiasm and vitality and promote and propagate Indian classical arts globally..
By Guru Vijay Shanker