An arangetram marks the culmination of a dancer’s preparation in her art. On July 14th, 2019, under the guidance of Guru Smt. Neena Gulati at the Boston University Dance Theater, and after twelve and nine years of learning dance, Reethika Digumarthy and Aanika Patel ascended to the stage to present theirs.

After participating in a pooja with their Guru and Aanika’s grandparents, Reethika and Aanika performed pieces in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi. They began their program with a dance in the lyrical style of Odissi: an invocation to Ganesha called Pada Vande. Both girls demonstrated their proficiency in the complex style, exhibiting its distinctive torso movements seemingly effortlessly. Reethika then presented her solo, a Pallavi in the raga Saveri. Throughout the soulful yet challenging piece, which increased in both intricacy and speed over its course, Reethika gracefully displayed her command of Odissi and the difficult rhythms present. Subsequently, Aanika joined Reethika to present their arangetram’s centerpiece, Das Avatar, in which the duo portrayed the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Over the course of the ten avatars, both dancers skillfully displayed a variety of expressions, transforming into characters such as the dwarf who humbled an arrogant king and the ploughman who unblocked the river Ganga.

After a brief intermission, the audience was introduced to the vibrant style of Kuchipudi as Aanika performed her solo, Bhama Kalapam, which details the story of Krishna’s proud wife Satyabhama. In every movement, story, and jathi, Aanika was Satyabhama. Afterwards, Reethika joined Aanika once more as the two displayed their skill in Bharatanatyam. They performed first Bho Shambo—a piece on Shiva and Parvati, portrayed by Aanika and Reethika respectively—and Ek Radha Ek Meera—a dance that is set to a bhajan in Hindi and compares the romantic love of Radha, shown by Aanika, with the devotional love of Meera, depicted by Reethika, for the god Krishna. The audience witnessed the dancers’ skill in this style, their ability to capture different characters, and the strong chemistry between the pair during these pieces.

For the final two dances, Reethika and Aanika showed their knowledge of Kuchipudi. In the first piece, Tarana—which was set to Hindustani music, thus uniting both poles of India—the dancers depicted statues who come to life to dance, only to return to their static forms at the end of the song. The dancers dexterously executed all of the dance’s increasingly complex steps. In the finale, Balagopala Tarangam, Reethika and Aanika once again showcased a variety of expressions as they depicted various verses on Krishna. At the piece’s climax, each girl balanced on the rim of a brass plate and continued to dance to the difficult rhythm.

Throughout the show, the orchestra—consisting of Smt. Neena Gulati (nattuvangam), Dr. Maitreyi Sharma (vocal), Sri Gaurishankar Chandrasekhar (mridangam), Dr. Ram Naidu (veena), and Prayuth Naduthota (flute)—provided the dancers a melodious accompaniment. At regular intervals during the performance, the audience was treated to speeches and commentary by Aanika’s little sister, Krishna, both sets of parents, and, at the end, the dancers themselves. After the performance, Reethika and Aanika’s families hosted an enjoyable dinner. In lieu of receiving gifts, the dancers created a fundraiser for the Malala Fund. From start to end, the entire event was heartwarming, and the audience was left looking forward to what Reethika and Aanika will do with dance next.

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