Announcing J Watumull Scholarship Awardee
Kavya Bhagawatula
in her MFA Thesis Bharatanatyam Performance.
(Photo credits: Christine Lamborn/Kennedy Theatre)
Kavya will be performing her Bharatanatyam dance performance Surya (the Sun): The Source of Light. Part of her MFA thesis and her training in Tamilnadu, India as part of her J Watumull Scholarship, Kavya will be gracing the stage of the UHM Department of Theatre and Dance Earle Ernst Lab Theater. Kavya’s performance is part of the UH Department of Dance BFA/MFA Dance Concert. The Friday performance will be follow by a Q & A.
WHEN: March 6-10
WHERE: Earle Ernst Lab Theater, UH Manoa Campus
Tickets and more information: http://tinyurl.com/3xyr4w3
About Kavya:
Kavya Bhagawatula is a 2023 J. Watumull Scholarship awardee. Kavya has completed 18 years of training in an Indian classical dance Kavya Bhagawatula has trained in the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam for the past 19 years. She started learning in Calgary, Canada with Shakthi Shethralaya Dance School, under Guru Smt. Karthika Ganesh. She was presented with the opportunity to pursue advanced training in India from Kala Pradarshini Center for Performing Arts, under Guru Kalaimamani Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala. Kavya was honored to complete her Arangetram (dance graduation) under both gurus in Chennai, in 2015. She has also been recognized by the Member of Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament for her promotion of Cultural Arts in Canada through various performances and dance festivals. In addition to her rigorous training, Kavya completed a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. During her education, she was able to integrate her passion for dance by developing new skills in the western dance forms of Modern and Contemporary, obtaining a minor in dance and an Associate in Arts degree. She is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. The Center of South Asian studies has recently provided her the opportunity to travel to India for this thesis research. She will be staging her thesis “Surya (The Sun): The Source of Light” in March. Kavya intends to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, where she will be able to integrate her background in biology and passion for dance, in the pursuit of specialization for dance related injuries and injury prevention.
About the UHM Department of Dance BFA/MFA Dance Concert:
The BFA/MFA Dance Concert is a dynamic dance concert consisting of original Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Senior Projects and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Creative Project choreography presented by the UHM Department of Dance. This dance production is a celebration of the creativity of our undergraduate and graduate dancers and highlights their artistic development. The concert features selected works and new premiere performances for both the stage and screen.
View Kavya’s Presentation:
Surya (The Sun): The Source of Light. A Bharatanatyam Dance Thesis on YouTube.
Kavya gave a presentation this past Fall 2023 on her experiences in India, and her rich history in Bharatanatyam Dance. You can watch it below or on our YouTube Channel.