| IAAC Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora |
Shobha Korambil Shobha was born and brought up in Chennai, the cultural capital of India. Hailing from a middle class family of Government servants, she was initiated into dancing at her 10th year of age by her parents and she had undergone training in Bharatha Natyam for nearly 10 years before joining the Kuchipudi Art Academy, the ace institution for Kuchipudi style of dance, in the year 1990. Shobha has undergone intensive training in Kuchipudi art under the tutelage of Guru Padma Bhushan Vempati Chinna Satyam since then. She has participated in several Programmes staged by the Academy and has toured all over India and around Globe as a member of her mentor Dr. Vempati's troupe.She has taken part in the many dance festivals like Sangeet Natak Academy- New Delhi, Mamallapuram Dance Festival-Tamil Nadu, Deccan Herald Festival of dance-Karnataka, Surya Dance Festival and Onam celebrations at Nishagandhi-Kerala, Konark Dance Festival-Orissa, Chembur Fine Arts Festival-Maharashtra Chidambaram Natyanjali Festival etc. and also in The Doordarshan, Chennai are a few to specify, besides the other States and Central Government programmes. Shobha toured the Netherlands and Belgium with her Guru's troupe and participated in the World Music Theatre Festival in 1996. She has also been to Reunion Islands in 2002 and completed a world tour, performing in 30 cities in United States and also performances in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, with her mentor from Aug –Dec 2004. Shobha has also performed at the United Nations in New York in 2005 under the auspices of UNSRC Photographic Society and Arise India Foundation. Shobha also entertained the audience at the National Geographic Society Centre in Washington DC and Lincoln Center, New York in 2005 during a presentation on India organized by National Geographic Traveller Magazine with the famous photographer Steve Mcurry. Shobha has performed in the Indian Consulate, New York a several number of times once sharing the stage with the Bharatha Natyam dancer, Priyadharshini Govind and Painting Artist Elango from Chennai. She also has been pariticipating in various programs for Tamil Sangam, New York, Telugu Literary and cultural Association, New York and other major dance and music institutions in the city. Shobha has done workshops in Kuchipudi for the Lotus Dance and Music Institute, New York and Lucille Roberts, the wellknown gym for women in New York. On her return back to India, Shobha has performed in IDA-Chennai, Ananya-Delhi, Dhouli-Bhubeneshwar, Kalakshetra - Chennai etc. along with Sri Kishore Mosalikanti's team. Also she has performed her solos in Mylapore fine arts-2008, Vani Mahal-2008, Bharat Kalachar-2008, Mudra-2008, Mamallapuram dance festival-2009 etc. Shobha's urge to acquire proficiency in dancing and dedication shaped herself into an artiste of considerable promise. A Commerce graduate, she is a multifaceted personality. She is a diploma holder in Travel and Tourism management and also in Cosmetology. She has been awarded the prestigious "Natya Visharada" award by Kuchipudi Art Academy in 1997. She was also the recipient of Scholarship for Young Artiste in field of Kuchipudi ,awarded by Department of Culture, Govt of India during 1998-2000. Shobha continues to follow the foot steps of her Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, dedicating herself to take Kuchipudi to the younger generations through teaching and performances. At present Shobha is settled in Chennai, undergoing advance training, teaching and performing Kuchipudi with Yuvakala Vipanchee Sri Jaikishore Mosalikanti, a well-known Kuchipudi Teacher-Choreographer. |