Student Dances Donations Into Morris School District Coffers

Morristown High School junior Uma Kantheti gave a three-hour, solo dance debut in "Bharatanatyam" at the Bickford Theater in Morris Museum on Aug. 24. The event saw more than 100 guests donate $2,000 to benefit the Morris Educational Foundation (MEF) in support of programs and grants for the Morris School District.

Kantheti is the daughter of Susmitha and Kumar Kantheti and has been training under Mrs.Chandrika Chandran of Natyanjali Academy of Dance in Atlanta, GA for 10 years. Bharatanatyam is one of India’s oldest and most revered of all classical art forms and utilizes intricate patterns of footwork and symbolic hand gestures to depict many mythological stories from Indian culture.

Chandran conducted the performance which was accompanied by a live orchestra, comprising of percussionist (mridangam) Mr. K.S. Sudhaman, vocalist Mr. Sudev Warrier and flautist Mr. Ramani Thiagarajan, all of whom are professional artists traveling from India. Dr. Edwin Villhauer, Uma’s chemistry teacher and cross-country coach at Morristown High School and Mrs. Ramya Ramnarayan, New Jersey’s renowned dancer, teacher and choreographer from the Nrithyanjali Institute of Dance were invited guest speakers.

Kantheti dedicated her performance to the MEF and in lieu of gifts, accepted donations for the Foundation. Through this debut performance, she is proud to support MEF, whose mission is to fund innovative and enriching programs and projects aimed at enhancing the quality of education and educational opportunities for students in the Morris School District.

“My journey through dance has taught me many things. It has taught me about religion and heritage, expression of emotions, concentration, dedication, perseverance and most of all discipline” said Kantheti.