...ECPA Bharatanatyam School

Ellora Center for Performing Arts

Ellora Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA) is the dance school set up by Rema Shrikant for training students in Indian classical dances. Its origin can be traced back in the Bharatanatyam dance classes started by her in Vadodara, way back 1975. During its onward journey, it was nurtured and developed in the Gujarat Refinery and IPCL Townships during 1976 to 1987. By the year 1987, it had grown into a full fledged dance academy called Ellora Centre for Performing Arts. During the span of more than three decades, ECPA has a glorious history of training thousands of students, presenting many awe inspiring dance dramas, several arangetrams and many solo dance recitals. They have performed in prestigious national festivals like Kerala Kalamandalam Saptadi (70th year celebrations) - Vallathol Nagar, Swaralaya Music and Dance Festival - Palakkad, Uday Shankar Dance Festival - Kolkatta, HCL Concert series - India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Kala Mandir Dance Festival - Chennai, Gujarat festival - Kolkata, Uttarardh Dance Festival - Sun Temple, Modhera, mega Kerala Kalolstavam - Ahmedabad etc.

Baroda Troups Comes of Age

Gauri Parimoo, THE TIMES OF INDIA, February 21, 1991

"The Ellora Centre for Performing Arts in Baroda, begun a few years ago by Rema Shrikant has come of age with the performance of 'Nritya Nivedanam', conceived and choreographed by Rema. It was performed by her well trained group of girls in their teen and early twenties with such zest and verve that they won the hearts of the connoisseurs, most of whom were pleasantly surprised to see the well-rehearsed performance unfolding flawlessly. It is heartening to note that in the hands of a highly creative and dedicated dancer-teacher like Rema a professionally trained group of students is coming up in Baroda who can compete with any renowned dance academics and products of university faculties in terms of their technical virtuosity. Indeed they should be sponsored to take part in national and international dance festivals. Baroda public will always look forward to Rema’s fabulous dance productions. The premiere performance of the dance drama ‘Nritya Nivedanam’ which is the fifth major dance production of Rema, dealt with the evolution and development of Bharatanatyam from the age of the Devadasis to its present-day form. Dance was integral to temple ritual and worship, therefore the custodians of this dance were the Devadasis who were ritually married to the temple deity and were known as Rudraganikas. This tradition was prevalent in the Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the evidence of which is provided by the inscriptions of the Chola period. ‘Nritya Nivedanam’ is novel in its rendering because of its exploration of the form and technique of Bharatanatyam keeping its own history as the thematic link. Rema’s compositions are always imaginative, appropriate and bear the stamp of her originality as a choreographer. ‘Nritya Nivedanam’ marks the full blooming of her expressive ability as a dancer".

Enthusiasm marks ECPA Show

Valli Maragath, INDIAN EXPRESS, September 13, 1992


		The Ellora Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA) and its director Rema Shrikant are both familiar and popular in the cultural panorama of Baroda. Rema has dedicated her life to promoting and popularizing various classical dance forms. Her sincerity and dedication to her chosen profession was very much visible in the annual 'Nrityostava' of ECPA on September 6 at the General Education Auditorium.The evening brought to light the hard work and perseverance by Rema and her co-teachers. The new untrained material from the nrityaramba stage to the finished product of varnam was well-represented. ECPA definitely deserves appreciation in awakening in so many a desire for the traditional classical art form".

A Dance for the Guru

Manju Ramanan, The Times Of India - 22nd Feb. 2001

"LITTLE girls clad in traditional silk ghaghra cholis with lamps in their tiny hands enthralled the audience last fortnight at Gandhinagar Gruh dancing to a song of Deepawali. The colourfully dressed little ones seemed unfazed by the glare of arc lights and the presence of a huge audience. Their tiny anklets resonated to the beat of the naatuvangam and the mridangam.The show was tribute to Rema Shrikant- their Guru, Sangeet Natak Academy awardee and the founder of Ellora Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA) - which completed 25 years since its inception in 1976. Put together by Rema's old students - some of whom had begun dancing since the age of five - the show had 150 students of ECPA performing various items.

Rema's popularity as a teacher and guide was evident in the enthusiasm of 150 odd students. Rema Shrikant herself is elated by the celebration. "I am overwhelmed by the parents as well as the student's co-operation. All my students are like my children as I have seen many of them grown in front of me. She said 'Dancers are the messengers and they convey to the audience their personal absorbed movements'. All he students will definitely agree".

ECPA Foundation (Vadodara)

ECPA Foundation, a registered Charitable Trust (Non Profit Organization) for Indian classical dances and music. Rema Shrikant is the Artistic Director of ECPA. Preserving, appreciating and promoting heritage through the medium of performing arts and encouraging young budding talents by providing them an opportunity to learn, grow and develop into full-fledged performing artistes are the main objectives of ECPA. It also has in its primary objective to provide a platform to young classical dancers to achieve confidence and perfection.

Rema Shrikant's Bharatanatyam Dance Classes

The classes are conducted at the following centres:

A/1 Manorath Apartments, Gotri Road, Vadodara The classes will begin from forthcoming academic session, June-2008	Urmi School - Sama,Vadodara The classes will begin from forthcoming academic session, June-2008
For Admissions Contact: Rema Shriant Artistic Director Mobile: 09909039959 & 09825572119 E-mail: ecpaorg@gmail.com