Seven-year-old Master Naman Anand Hembram has brought laurels by being adjudged the “Little Champ” (Best Dancer – Junior Category) at the Antarang Utsav National Dance Competition 2026, organised by the All India Dancers Association (AIDA) in Mumbai on April 20th.
A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Naman is under the guidance of award-winning exponent Ayush Jaiswal of New Delhi, founder-director of Ayush Dance Works (ADW), a premier online Bharatanatyam institution established in 2023. His remarkable achievement adds to the growing reputation of ADW, which has been attracting students from across the globe.
Naman’s father serves as a doctor in a government hospital in interior Karnataka, while his mother is a homemaker with a deep appreciation for Indian classical arts. Speaking about his journey, she shared that Naman showed a keen interest in dance from a very young age and has been training with great dedication. His school has also acknowledged and celebrated his achievement.
The festival is curated by Nisha Mangalampalli, a noted Bharatanatyam exponent and disciple of Guru Ratheesh Babu, Director of AIDA. Naman’s success reflects disciplined training, strong mentorship, and his own passion for the art. Apart from dance, his interests include reading, swimming, and badminton.
With such an early milestone, young Naman promises a bright future ahead in the field of classical dance.
_By Guru Vijay Shanker_
