18-year-old NRI girl to perform Bharatanatyam in Dharwad

Hubballi: Although physically estranged from the country, 18-year-old Niharika Rane has not forgotten her cultural roots. Despite living in San Jose, California, for the past 16 years, Niharika trained rigorously in Bharatanatyam and is all set for her 'Arangetram' or 'Ranga Pravesha', which heralds the arrival of a new dancer on stage, at Virendra Heggade Kalakshetra on Sunday.
She plans on continuing her Bharatanatyam practice even after she joins the university of California Davis to study biotechnology.
Explaining her choice of Dharwad for her Arangetram, she said: "I wanted to showcase my talent to my relatives. Dharwad is the hub for art lovers and I feel that the feedback here will be mature. I wouldn't have such a large audience in the US."
Niharaika's father Nandkishore, a hardware programmer, said. "We always try to cultivate an interest in the Indian arts among our children. It is now common practice for Indian kids in US to learn Indian dance and music."
He added that Niharika started training in Bharatanatyam at the age of six. "I am told that youngsters in the country are moving away from Indian arts. I hope that my small effort send a message to the country's youngsters," said Niharika. Niharika's guru Sugandha Sreenath has also arrived in Dharwad for her disciple's 'Arangetram'.