In a terrific display of camaraderie and collaboration, local area teachers and dance exponents of the South Indian Classical Dance style presented a program at the Natick High School to raise funds for the New England Hindu Temple at Ashland. The event drew in a crowd of more than 200 people and impressive funds of more than $17,000. With more than 40 active volunteers helping in for the occasion, it was an evening that was both entertaining and enchanting. As one person in the audience quipped during the show “It is indeed credible that on a single platform all the artists came together for a unified purpose”.

The dancers who presented in solo and in groups were Neena Gulati, Ranjani Saigal, Sridevi Thirumalai, Soumya Ramanathan, Meena Subramanyam and Jayashree Bala Rajamani. Sharing the stage was the orchestra filling the hall with an earthy conglomeration of sounds, producing an exquisite blend of traditional classical music. The musicians were Roja Kannan and Janani Swamy on the Nattuvangam , Savita Rao, Maitreyi Sharma and Rajan Narayanan as Vocalists, Gourishankar Chandrashekhar on the mridangam, Durga Krishnan on the Veena and Tara Bangalore on the Violin.

Blending soulful harmonies, the dance recital started with all the dancers presenting the traditional beats of the Thodaya Mangalam in RagaMalika followed by various classical dances and ending with a Tillana in Ragam Desh. Although the dancers presented different solos, it put all these choreographers from various dance schools on the same page. Here was a chance to really look at the dancers, as they presented their unique pieces, be it a Padam , a Javali or a Bhajan, or the classic Varnam supporting each other in a somewhat classical manner , tackling a narrative and sharing a love of movement.It was all there: the poetry of an effective gesture and the meaning in the dance, whether it was a turn of the wrist or in emoting a facial expression to describe a heartache.The audience was delighted and so were the children, many of whom were watching their own teachers on stage for the first time. Said one 10 year old student, " I see my teacher show us the movement and dance in class, but I have never seen her so good and so beautiful"

Saraswati Nochur, the Emcee for the evening, kept the introductions to the artists and the dance items vibrant and lively. Mr K.G. Narayana thanked all the participants, the audience and the volunteers for making it such a success. Solai Annamalai, a temple volunteer also presented a token of appreciation to K.G. Narayana for his efforts.

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