Metrowest is one of the culturally rich communities in New England. As summer kicks in, we anxiously wait for the Arangetram season to begin. I had the privilege of attending the first Arangetram from Lasya School of dance for this season. Rebha Raviraj, disciple of Guru, Smt. Sapna Krishnan, successfully completed her Arangetram on June 30^th, at Grafton High school, MA.

The ensemble included, Smt. Sapna Krishnan on the Nattuvangam, Sri Sudev Warrier on Vocals, Sri. Sudhaman Subramanian on Mridangam, Sri.Pathanjali on Flute. Dr. Saritha Venkatesh was the emcee for the evening. She walked us through the evening with great details about each dance item, humor and metaphors.

The repertoire included Pushpanjali and Ganesha Pancharatnam as the invocatory item, a composition of Sri. Aadi Shankaracharya. The next item was a Karthikeya Kauthuvam, in praise of Lord Muruga.

The unique item of the Arangetram was “Ananda Nayakane”, which was in praise of Jesus Christ, the one who showered compassion on everyone and one who took away the sins of others by showing empathy towards his devotees. This item really spoke to me. I had goosebumps as Rebha walked with the Cross on her shoulders, the symbol of crucifixion of Jesus and how the story of Mary Magdalene was portrayed, as the sinned woman washed Jesus’s feet with her tears of repentance.I have never witnessed anything this unique, a beautiful choreography on Jesus Christ in an Arangetram. I was really touched by Rebha’s abhinaya in this item.

The centerpiece of the Arangetram was the Varnam in Ragam Kapi, which portrayed stories of Lord Krishna, his birth, how he lifted Govardhana Mountain and saved the villagers from torrential rain and how he defeats Venomous snake Kaliya. Rebha’s enchanting snake movements stood out in the Varnam.  Next performance was a power packed item,  Bho Shambho, a Kirthanam on Lord Shiva. Rebha was very vibrant and energetic and kept the audience engaged.  A Meera bhajan in Ragamalika was a pleasant piece where Lord Krishna is swinging in merriment with Radha. It was interesting how the Bhajan was tuned and composed into a  dance piece with kathak bols by the vocalist Sri Sudev Warrier. A vibrant Thillana in ragam Dhanashree  was followed by Bhagyadhalakshmi Baramma, a Kannada krithi. The choreography was outstanding for this piece and Rebha was very graceful and composed in this number.

Guru Smt. Sapna Krishnan received “Best Artistic Director” Award from Mrs. Gauri Chandna, during a small intervention by Foundations TV . Smt. Sapna Krishnan had enthralled the New England audience with her dance ballet production, “Maya Madhavam” , with over 70 dancers back in 2014. This was particularly mentioned in the award ceremony.

Rebha’s parents Simi and Raviraj mentioned in their speeches, that Rebha herself decided to learn Bharathanatyam after watching her cousin perform her Arangetram. She started learning Bharathanatyam as a freshman in High school. Within a record time of 4 years, she blossomed into a very graceful dancer with the loving guidance of her Guru. I can see the hard work, determination and dedication, she and her parents had.

It was a very well organized event, with so much care and attention to the stage décor, costumes and engaging the guests. I left the auditorium with a heart filled with joy, a great evening with wonderful dancing  by Rebha, beautiful choreography by Guru Sapna Krishnan and soulful music by the fantastic orchestra.

Credits:

Photography: Mr. Krish Velmurugan-KrispFotos
Video: Mr. Manoj Panicker- MRK Visuals
Audio: Mr. Manish Kurup
Make up: Mrs. Marium
Stage Lighting: New England Stage Works

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