Dancing Diva Meenakshi Medhi

New Delhi: “Your dance recital was very smooth, sweet and graceful. There was no inertia at all in any posture. Transition from one movement to another was perfect and flawless. All steps were performed very nicely. I am sure you will grow up to be a great danseuse of India in future.” This is how noted author, academician and the President of Society for Srimanta Sankaradeva Dr. Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, complemented Meenakshi Medhi after her mesmerizing Sattriya dance performance at the launching ceremony of a website dedicated to Mahapurush Sankaradeva, the creator of Sattriya dance, one of the eight classical dance forms of India.
Meenakshi Medhi has now created a niche for herself in the world of classical dances through her natural flair for the art, distinct style of expression and relentless single-minded devotion for Sattriya dance. As rightly observed by Dwarka Parichay News (19 January 2011) after a performance: “ The ‘Sattriya’ is a dance form that is now slowly emerging as a classical dance due to its expressive and ‘nritta’ components. Meenakshi with her extremely expressive eyes and vigorous movements showed the ‘Dashavtara’ and engrossed the audience.”
Daughter of Shri Tarun Chandra Medhi and Smt. Pramodini Medhi, she started learning Bharathanatyam at the tender age of five, and obtained her Visharad degree in Bharatnatyam from Sarbabharatiya Sangeet-O-Sanskritik Parishad, Kolkata, in the year 2005-2006. Bharathanatyam, the supreme art form which skillfully embodies the three primary ingredients of dance - BHavam, RAgam and THalam, fascinated her. She is a Nritya Visharad in Sattriya dance from Natan Sattriya Academy under Sangeet Sattra Pariksha Parishad, Guwahati and from 2003 onwards, she has devoted her life for learning and performing Sattriya dance under the guidance of Guru Sri Jibonjit Dutta.
She has the great honour to perform Sattriya dance at a number of prestigious national and state level cultural events which include World Dance Day organized by Shristi Centre of Performing Arts at Bangalore, Rongali Bihu Festival organized by the Assam Association at Mumbai, Indradhanush Festival of Indian Classical dance organized by SUNAINA in association with ICCR and Ministry of Culture at New Delhi, Baliyatra Mahotsav 2011 organised by Govt. of Odisha at Cuttack, Indian Theater Olympiad at Cuttack and recently during the website launch ceremony of Srimanta Sankardeva on 1 January 2012 at Guwahati, to name a few.
For her passion and devotion for dance, she was awarded National Scholarship in Sattriya dance for the year 2010-2011 by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. She is also the youngest recipient of National Nritya Bhushan Award at the prestigious India Theatre Olympiad at Cuttack, which made Prof. Karthik Chandra Rath, General Secretary of Utkal Yuva Sanskrutik Sangha, to opine that, “Meenakshi’s excellent performance of Sattriya was a true representation of Assamese neo-classical dance form. Her dance proved not only its distinct style, but its artistic and aesthetic qualities too.”
This danseuse considers her parents as her true inspiration. Presently, she is pursuing her Bachelor's degree with Philosophy as Honors at the prestigious Cotton College, Guwahati. Sattriya dance has become an integral part of her life and while still pursuing her academic studies, she devotes time to practice Sattriya dance for daily 3 hours, 5 days a week. At this young age, she is passionate about her dream to popularize Mahapurush Sankaradeva’s Sattriya dance both at national and world stage.