Spring is the typical month when most dance and music schools are bubbling with excitement. That is the time when most of these schools conduct their annual dance shows before the commencement of the summer vacation.

The prestigious Sarasa Natya Academy under the guidance of the Artistic Director Smt Preethi Ramesh conducted its fifth annual day on May 19th,2018 at the Chinmaya Maruti Auditorium, Andover.

It was indeed a significant day for the students of the SNA dance school as they eagerly anticipated to showcase their talent on stage to their proud parents, Guru and other Rasikas.

The annual day was graced with the presence of two esteemed chief guests.

SNA had had the honor to have the Artistic director and founder of the Lasya school of dance , Smt Sapna Krishnan, as one of the chief guests. The special guest was the very beautiful show host, actress,  author, editor  - Smt Gauri Chandna from the Foundations TV. Both Sapna ji and Gauri ji were totally engrossed in the event with great enthusiasm. They greatly encouraged and motivated the students of SNA with their speech and inspiring personal experiences which captivated the audience as well.

I was fortunate to anchor this gala event for the dance school and be a part of this awe-inspiring event. This enabled me to notice all the hard work that went behind this triumphant event. The parents, volunteers, technicians, students and their families worked as a single unit to make this event a grand success.

The theme of that evening was Skandha which is a very powerful, charming and playful theme. The dance presentations were based on either on Skandha or Lord Shiva.

Smt Preethi Ramesh opened the event with a warm welcome address seeking the blessings of her Guru Kalaimamani Sarasama.

The first few presentations were Allarippu , Pushpanjali and Jatiswaram in varying ragaam and thaalam portraying students of different levels and experience.

Budding young students gave a delightful performance on Slokam based on Lord Ganesha , Saraswathi , Lakshmi and Shiva. The beginners were very energetic and delivered a fascinating performance.

Thandai Muzhanga was a lovely Shabdam in Raagamalika performed by very capable students.

Nrithyathi Nrithyathi in raagam Sankarabharanam was a vibrantly choreographed piece. Senior student , Kiran did complete justice to this challenging song with such ease and grace.

Niha performed beautifully to the varnam on Lord Shiva-Swami Naan Undan Adimai in ragam Natai Kuranji. This was a complex dance piece and was delivered very radiantly.

Anandha Narthana Ganapathi in raagam Naatai was performed by Vaishnavi in a splendid way. She was very expressive and her performance was creditable.

Natesha Kauthuvam in Hamsadhavi, Murugan Kavuthuvam in Shanmuga priya and Ganesha Kauthuvam in Naatai very elegantly performed by senior students of SNA. Their performance was well received by the audience. Their colorful costumes added to the grandeur of their stupendous performance !

Anjana performed magnificently to Natanam Aadinar in raagam Vasantha set in Misra chapu thalam. Her expressions were unmatched and she performed with such ease and grace. She delivered the challenging steps with amazing gestures and movements.

Moham Konden Muruga in Desh and Valli Kanavan Perai in Senchurutti were outstanding pieces performed by Guru Smt Preethi Ramesh herself! Her expressions were greatly appreciated and applauded in these love genres. Her elegant moves and beautiful expressions gave a lot of life to the song and uplifted the song to a different level. She conveyed the song in an admirable way and emoted her love for Lord Muruga. Her performance was truly divine and classy!

The event also had a grand Thillana set in ragam Surya and thalam Adi. It was very entertaining to watch the lovely Shreya , daughter of our Guru, demonstrating the bharathanatyam adavus in rhythm. She was very pleasant to watch and kept the audience rapt.

The folk dance pieces in Kavadi Chindu style were yet another astounding performance by these girls. The folk dances were truly a treat to our eyes singing to the praise of Lord Skandha. The Kavadi dance Azhagu Deivamaga Vandu in Senchurutti was not to be missed . It was a unique creative performance with amazing coordination from the girls. They danced with such grace carrying the colorful Kavadis. These folk dances were enchanting and kept the audience spellbound. This was the final item and a fitting end to the gala program!

The grand finale was the Mangalam on stage which staged all the talented students and the Guru striking a picturesque pose. This was in turn followed by Trophies and Certificate distribution to the students.

Overall it was an outstanding annual dance show with brilliant choreography teamed with vibrant costumes and perfect hairdo/makeup.

For the audience, it was a visual treat to see lovely performances from tiny tots to senior students. The effort that Smt Preethi Ramesh put forth in preparing the children to perform for an event like this must be greatly applauded. We will look forward to many more presentations from SNA family in the years to come.

Kudos to the organizers and volunteers!

Photo Credits - Sri. Jeyakumar Sathyamoorthy

Video Credits - Sri. Senthil Selvaraj

Sound Engineer/AV - Sri Sudhir Srinivasan

|