New England is brimming with talented young dancers who undergo rigorous training for several years and perform their Arangetram (dance debut), when they are ready to graduate in the art form that they have been learning for many years.
Shreya Sriram and Vidya Ramalingam, disciples of Guru, Smt. Sapna Krishnan (Lasya School of dance) performed their Arangetram on August 24th, at Bellingham High School auditorium.
It was not just a festive occasion for both their families, but also for friends and relatives who had gathered at the Arangetram from different parts of the world. There was festivity in the air as the whole world celebrated the birth of Lord Krishna (Krishna Janmashtami). Having said that, I am sure you guessed there was Krishna themed Decor and Krishna based dance item. Yes, there was a unique Krishna concept Kolu (or called Golu as well)- which is an arrangement of dolls on a special mantel in a step wise manner that is typically done during Navarathri season. A beautiful center piece decoration had life size cut outs of Vidya and Shreya dressed as Krishna and Radha sitting on a jhoola (Swing) in a place decorated like Brindavan.
The Ensemble had Smt. Sapna Krishnan, the Guru on Nattuvangam, Sri. Sudev Warrier on Vocal, Sri. Sudhaman Subramanian on Mridangam, Sri. Ramani Thiagarajan on Flute and Sri. Nagarajan Veeramani on Violin.
Vidya’s grandfather and Shreya’s brother Narayan sang the special invocation songs in Tamil. Shreya and Vidya made a grand entry with a Pushpanjali in Ragam Gambeera Naatai in Aadi Talam in praise of Lord Ganesha.
Shreya performed the next item, a bhajan on Sathya Sai Baba in Ragamalika, praising his compassionate nature, where she portrayed the gentle and kind nature of Bhagwan with her beautiful expressions.
Vidya performed Kali Kauthuvam, where she portrayed the fierceful nature of Mahishasuramardini who destroys the evil and shines as consort of Lord Shiva. Power packed performance and Choreography was simply brilliant.
There was a beautiful interlude, a Jugalbandhi by the ensemble and Brahmamokate was particularly enjoyed by the audience. Sri Sudhaman enthralled the audience with his signature style interactive Mridangam thani avartanam. The famous composition Kurai ondrum illai was beautiful played in Flute and Violin by the artists.
Varnam which is the centerpiece of an Arangetram is an elaborate piece with detailed footwork and storytelling. Vidya and Shreya danced for a varnam a composition of Smt. Kalamandalam Latha, in praise of Lord Shiva in ragam Misra Sivaranjani and aadi talam, The dancers portrayed the story of Ganga and Shiva’s Parvathi’s wedding, story of Prahalada and Markandeya. The dancers did striking poses together which was very captivating. It was interesting to see the picture of each God appear aptly on the backdrop which changed for each and every dance item.
Right after intermission, the guests were enthralled by a beautiful Meera bhajan to commemorate Krishna Janmashtami, where the dancers transported the audience to the banks of River Yamuna, where Krishna and Radha were swinging with merriment and joy. The dancers used special costume and accessories for this item, which was very unique.
The next dance item was a Krithi on handsome Lord Muruga or Karthikeya who rides on a peacock. The amazing tamil composition “Kaliyuga varadhan†in Brindavana Saranga was beautifully danced by Vidya using Kavadi as a prop.
This was followed by “Devi neeye thunai†a famous Tamil keertanai in ragam Keeravani in praise of Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai temple. Shreya beautifully portrayed the gentle nature of Meenakshi amman. Goddess is praised as the one who gave life to Tamil language which is as sweet as amirdham or holy nectar.
The final item was a Thillana in Ragam Madhuvanthi, in praise of Lord Krishna. The dancers were very crisp in their footwork and head isolations and concluded the day’s program with a Mangalam on all the deities.
The Arangetram was very well received by the audience with a standing ovation. Particularly notable in this Arangetram is the striking poses, the understanding and co-ordination between the dancers and the synchronization and perfect timing on performing each of their steps.
The Décor and cutouts on the hallways, the Krishna concept Kolu, dancer’s brilliant costumes, stage backdrop and décor, hospitality and dinner, with Tanjore dancing dolls for centerpiece, were all done with great detail and care.
The girls carried their energy levels throughout and enthralled the audience with their bright smile and cheerful performance. It was very obvious that the Guru, families, friends and volunteers had put in a lot of effort in making this event a grand success.
MC’s Mrs. Pavithra Ram and Dr. Sathish Mohan did a fantastic job of walking us through the entire performance.
Credits:
Photography: Krish Velmurugan Krispfotos
Video: MRK Visuals
Sound and Lights: New England Stage Works
Make up: Anu Metra
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