How Cochlear implant enables Nivrritii Mahesh to perform Bharatanatyam

Meet Nivrritii Mahesh, a Bharatanatyam dancer who dances with Cochlear implants

The stage was set with a camera mounted on a tripod aimed at the nattuvangam artiste, its live-feed visible on a small monitor positioned at the stage level, just a few feet away from the performance area. Seventeen-year-old Bharatanatyam dancer Nivrritii Mahesh, exuding confidence and poise, commenced her recital with a Gambhira Natai Ganesha invocation. She followed it up with a rigorous Simhendramadhyamam varnam, a Chandrakauns keerthanam, Shama padam, and a lively Sindhubhairavi thillana with steady grace. Her recital was part of Naada Sparsh programme, presented by SciArtsRUs under their initiative — Artabilities 4 All. The venue was Narada Gana Sabha’s mini hall. 

Watching the seamless flow of her dance, it would be difficult to imagine that Nivrritii was born with hearing impairment. She dances using bilateral cochlear implants — electronic devices in both ears that help her perceive sound.

Confidence met grace on the stage. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

Throughout her recital, Nivrritii worked closely with her mother and guru, Aishwarya Chakravarthy, who provided her withrhythmic cues and also handled the nattuvangam. Her nattuvangam was captured on camera and streamed on to the stage monitor for Nivritti to follow, while sound engineer Nambukumar Krishnan fine-tuned the audio balance. The accompanists — vocalist Srikanth Gopalakrishnan, violinist R. Kalaiarasan and mridangist N.K. Kesavan supported the young dancer with sensitivity. 

Nivrritii’s story of resilience and passion reflects the determination of both the mother and the daughter. Their collaborative spirit transforms challenges into a celebration of music and movement. After cochlear implant surgery in the U.S. in 2012, Nivrritii was able to hear and speak for the first time at age five. Recalling her initiation into Bharatanatyam, she says, “Soon after the surgery, I attended my mother’s dance classes, and later, enjoyed listening to stories of Krishna and Ganesha. My mother asked me to write the stories and lyrics of the songs several times. To deepen my understanding, she would show me videos of these stories on YouTube.”

 Nivrritii credits Bharatantayam for instilling positivity and purpose. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj