The Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance held its first ever Top Talents Awards Gala and Dinner on June 18. Top Talents was created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Tamil youth aged 17-30 by recognizing and rewarding talented youth among the community with an award and a $500 bursary. Its aim was to motivate youth to achieve greater success by recognizing and rewarding those youth who have contributed to society and are positive role models for their peers.
Today we will look at the profile of the winner of the CTYA’s Classical Dance Award, Ms. Mrs. Malarvilly Varatharajah.
The Top Talents Classical Dance Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding ability, achievement and leadership in Classical Dance. Decisions are made based on the applicant’s video performance, personal statement and references (if submitted) by a panel of judges. The selection panel is interested in the nominee’s overall success, leadership qualities, determination, performance, and commitment to success.
Malarvilly Varatharajah was selected as the best choice for this award because of her ability, sincerity, hard work, community involvement and great talent as a Bharathanatyam dancer. She is an accomplished and qualified professional Bharathanatya dancer who has performed numerously. She started her training at the age of 8, and had the opportunity to learn from gurus including Padma Sri Dhanayajans, Padma Sri Adyar Lakshman, and Braga Bessel. Her continuous dedication to the cultivation and nourishment of her Bharathanatyam is illustrated by her yearly trips to India where she spends half her year learning under dance gurus.
Malarvilly has used her artistic ability to illuminate the struggle of the Tamil people. She worked and assisted in many dance dramas focusing on our struggles in Sri-Lanka.
She currently has her own dance school, and collaborates with other Canadian dance companies in her work.
Malarvilly differs from other Bharathanatya dancers in that she continues to perform despite facing many social difficulties as being a performer while being wife and mother. Maalrvilly has persisted, overcome these challenges and has not forgone dancing despite this; she has continued to dance and has served as a positive role models for dancers who may often forgo dancing once married or pregnant.
She has also been selected to participate in DanceIntense 2010. In addition to dancing, she holds the regional record for cross-country, is a certified yoga instructor, a certified soccer coach, and a community worker. Using her athletic and yoga skills, she choreographs and performs authentic dances. She has hosted television programs oriented towards youth.
“Malarvilly Varatharajah has been selected as the best choice for this award because of her ability, sincerity, hard work, community involvement and great talent as a dancer. In addition, her vision to pursue dance as a professional career raises her to the highest score.” – Menaka Thakkar
“Unlike many dancers who treats classical dance as a hobby, Malar takes it as a profession. She wants to take classical dancing to the next level. Malar wants to provide various classical dance shows, dramas, classical kid’s shows involving classical dancers from all level thereby giving an opportunity for dancers in all age levels an opportunity to continue their dancing dreams.” – Soroopi Shan, Nominator
“Malarvilly’s strengths as a dancer include her ability to learn choreographies expeditiously and her determination to learn new styles. In my view, she has great control over her body as a dancer. Malarvilly always shows desire to improve as a dancer and take the initiatives to do so. – Meera Kanageswaran, Nrithyakshetra Dance Academy
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