Photo courtesy of Dhilip Kumar
It is said that if you need something done, ask the busiest person in the room.This may have been exactly what the students at Columbus Academy were thinking when they elected Shreyah Mohanselvan student council president for this school year.
Mohanselvan, who has lived in New Albany her entire life, is a senior at Columbus Academy, where she has been a student since kindergarten. She has been involved with student government since middle school, was president of her class both her sophomore and junior years, and is focusing on communication, spirit and community, and efficiency and organization this year as student council president.
Click here to watch Mohanselvan's convocation address on August 22, 2017
In addition to student government, Mohanselvan plays the violin in the Columbus Academy Advanced Orchestra, serves as a student orientation leader for new students transitioning into the school and is an editor of the yearbook, a group she has been a part of since her freshman year.
All of this adds up to Mohanselvan being an exceptional high school student – one that her school community at Columbus Academy and her home community of New Albany can be immensely proud of. But Mohanselvan is actually best known for something else.
Her dancing.
“Dance has always been my passion,” she says. “I started learning ballet when I was 4 years old at the New Albany Ballet Company. Shortly thereafter, I started learning the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam.”
Photo courtesy of A&N Photography
Bharatanatyam and Odissi, a second form of classical Indian dancing that Mohanselvan performs, are, as she explains, ancient art forms that were originally performed in temples. The dance depict Hindu stories and are dedicated to gods and goddesses.
“The two dance forms have differences and similarities, and sometimes it is difficult to force the body to be true to both of these two conflicting dance forms,” she says.
Mohanselvan isn’t simply a dancer, though; she’s an award-winning dancer. She has won first place in the Federation of Indian Associations of Central Ohio’s Indian solo dance competition for three consecutive years. Additionally, Mohanselvan has three first place and two second place finishes since 2013 in the Vindhya Cultural Association in Columbus, a competition that attracts talent from all across the state. This year, she was presented with a National Young Arts Winner Honorable Mention Award in Indian/classical dance.
“Dance has always been my passion,” she says. “I started learning ballet when I was 4 years old at the New Albany Ballet Company. Shortly thereafter, I started learning the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam.”
To prepare herself for the physical and mental rigors of her dancing, Mohanselvan focuses on a healthy lifestyle.
“I always eat balanced meals to maintain my energy and stamina. Around the time of major rehearsals and performances, I pay extra attention to my diet and sleep to make sure I can maintain my focus and energy levels,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Academy
From left: Freda Graan, Nick Robie, Shreyah Mohanselvan and Brianna Stout. Both Stout and Graan are teachers at Columbus Academy, and Robie, a Worthington resident, is vice president of student council.
Despite the strains on her time and energy, Mohanselvan finds stress relief in her dancing. She says having to focus on her dancing “helps (her) decompress after a long day at school and energizes (her).”
Mohanselvan’s talent for dance has taken her to perform at venues all across the state, including many times at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, a place she says “always feels like home.”
Mohanselvan has always felt supported by her family, school and community. She’s performed during assemblies and at many Columbus Academy talent shows, and her friends, classmates and even teachers routinely support her at performances and competitions.
“The interest that my teachers and classmates have shown and the support I receive from them has been critical as dance has become an integral part of my everyday life,” she says. “I didn’t have to keep it separate.”
Her school life and dance life coalesce once again, Mohanselvan’s own words from her campaign for student council president can serve as encouragement for her and the school and home communities that are proud to claim Mohanselvan as their own.
“If one is doing something she loves, she is already doing something amazing.”
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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