Mesran (back row, chequered shirt) and Nalini (in yellow, next to him) posing with the dancers and representatives of MBR and ABR at the awards ceremony. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
AN AWARD ceremony called “Suaranatya: Celebration of Achievement” gave dancers of Sri Rathakrishanan Music and Arts Centre some well-deserved attention.
Thirty-six Indian classical dancers received certificates and medals for entering the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) and Asia Book of Records (ABR).
They achieved records for “Longest Non-stop Traditional Dance Relay” and “Most Number of All Women Participants in a 24-Hour Barathanatyam Dance Relay”.
The dancing started during a Suaranatya programme on May 1, 2021, at 8am and ended 35 hours later on the following day at 7pm.
The award ceremony was organised by the centre and Pertubuhan Kesenian dan Kebudayaan with the collaboration of National Culture and Arts Department (JKKN).
JKKN deputy director-general Mesran Mohd Yusof said it was good to see that youths in the country still valued cultural arts.
“It proves that the centre has been successful in getting the young involved in the arts, especially Indian classical dances,” he said at the ceremony held at a restaurant in Klang.
Centre founder and principal Nalini Rathakris said they faced difficulties when the Covid-19 pandemic caused many of their events to be cancelled or postponed.
“However, we did our best to keep our passion for classical dancing alive and I am so proud of the dancers,” said the principal of the performing arts centre located in Shah Alam.
Both Nalini and Mesran are looking forward to a continued partnership in the future to raise the level of Malaysia’s cultural arts.
Also present were ABR Malaysia president Selvarani Muthiah and vice-president Grace Kuppa as well as MBR senior record consultant Siti Hajar Johor.
