Road closures around Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay for National Day Parade Rehearsals 2025 from 14 Jun – 9 Aug 2025. Read more
Road closures around Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay for National Day Parade Rehearsals 2025 from 14 Jun – 9 Aug 2025. Read more
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Esplanade Presents
11 Jul 2025, Fri, 8pm
12 Jul 2025, Sat, 8pm
13 Jul 2025, Sun, 3pm
(Intermission: None)
Esplanade Theatre Studio
From Ancient Tongue to Living Legacy
In ancient verses, lullabies, and stories passed down through generations, Tamil has always been more than mere words. It carries the echoes of journeys taken, roots planted, and communities built. Born from the fertile soil of early civilisations, Tamil blossomed into a language revered through its literature, philosophy, and art.
Over centuries, it crossed oceans—carried by pilgrims, traders, and seekers—eventually finding a welcoming home in Singapore. Here, it became a vital thread in our multicultural tapestry, nurturing bonds and carrying forward a legacy of resilience and transformation.
In this bharatanatyam performance, we trace that journey—from ancient origins to its vibrant place in contemporary Singapore. We honour a language that continues to shape our identity, stir our memories, and inspire stories yet to come.
Performers from Bharathaa Arts:
1. Kaviya
2. Srinithi
3. Padma Roopa
4. Alagammai Lavanya
5. Pooja Sankar
6. Shriya J
Performers from CHETHAS:
1. Hiranmayi A
2. Katari Druti
3. Ksheeraja S
4. Nidhi Bhat
5. Pavithra S
6. Shriya V
Accessibility
Assistive Listening
Bharathaa Arts
Founded in 1997 by the Kesavan sisters, Bharathaa Arts aspires to expose its students to the traditions and rich heritage of bharatanatyam. Since its inception, Bharathaa Arts has become synonymous with innovative, creative, and exciting dance presentations. With the able guidance of its founders, Bharathaa Arts has performed on various local and international stages, including multiple sold-out shows for productions such as Divine Love, VARNA, Kaveri, Utchi Thilagam, Stree Shakti, ULA, Madhavi's Story and AARU: The Six Enemies of the Mind.
In many of these productions, Bharathaa Arts and the Kesavan sisters have collaborated with other well-known local and foreign artists such as Srimathi Maanu (Chennai), Srimathi Parvathy Ghantasala (Chennai), Srimathi Anjana Anand (Chennai), Christopher Gurusamy (Chennai), Srimathi Rama Vaidyanathan (Chennai), Sri Ajith Bhaskaran (Malaysia), and many more.
Bharathaa Arts has performed in several countries, including India, Brazil, Paris, Australia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Notably, Bharathaa Arts performed at Brahmotsav at ISKCON (2009) in Bangalore, the Vrindavan Festival (2009) in Mathura, at the Sripuram Golden Temple at Vellore (2012), and at the Karur Temple for the Karur Natyanjali Festival (2013). They also participated in the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2015 and more recently, showcased ULA in Adelaide in 2019.
On 25 Sep 2010, the Kesavan sisters, along with six senior dancers from Bharathaa Arts , were among the 1,000 dancers who performed at Rajarajeswaram 1000 at Tanjore Temple, organised by ABHAI, Chairman Dr Padma Subramaniam.
The Kesavan sisters have received several awards, including the Artistic Excellence Award (2000) from the late president S. R. Nathan, Bharatha Kalai Mani Award (2002) from their late guru Neila Sathayalingam, Natya Chudar Award (2006) from Bishan Community Club's IAEC, the prestigious Merit Award (2014) from People's Association, the Natya Acharyamani Award (2021) by Apsaras Arts, and most recently, the Natya Kala Nipuna Award by Bhaskar's Arts Academy (2023).
CHETHAS
CHETHAS was instituted in July 2014 by the artistic couple Vaishnavi and Anand, with the aim of providing holistic enrichment to people of all age groups through the medium of arts.
Vaishnavi Anand is an accomplished Carnatic vocalist and bharatanatyam dancer. She is a disciple of Sri Alepey Venkatesan for vocal music, and her mother, Dr Jayashree Rajagopalan, as well as the legendary Dr Padma Subrahmanyam for dance. Anand is a highly sought-after violinist and a disciple of Kum A. Kanyakumari.
CHETAS currently offers training in Carnatic vocal music, Carnatic violin, bharatanatyam dance and yoga. A key objective of CHETHAS is to foster collaborations and present innovative works that promote greater harmony and understanding among individuals.
Assistive Listening
Assistive listening system is available for this venue. Hearing aid users with a Telecoil-enabled programme can benefit from the system provided. Please arrive at the venue 30 min before the performance so we can assist with the setup.
Assistive Listening
11 Jul 2025, Fri
8pm
12 Jul 2025, Sat
8pm
13 Jul 2025, Sun
3pm
Standard | Students, NSFs, Seniors & PWDs |
|
Price | $35 | $29 |
Esplanade&Me Specials
Early Bird (5 – 13 May 2025, limited tickets)
Black: 20% savings
White: 15% savings
Discover: 15% savings (Min. 2 tickets)
From 14 May 2025, 10am (Limited tickets)
Black: 15% savings
White: 10% savings
Discover: 10% savings (Min. 2 tickets)
Applicable to Standard tickets only. Terms and Conditions apply.
Tote Board Arts Grant
All Primary, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges/ Centralised Institute & ITEs may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 50% of the programme cost.
For more details, please contact Esplanade Box Office at 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.
Great arts experiences begin with Esplanade&Me. Join this membership to enjoy ticket specials on shows at Esplanade, early bird specials, promotions at Esplanade Mall, unlimited access to Offstage and more.