Nritya Nipuna: Garima Lalwani
On July 23, 2022, Garima Lalwani completed her Nritya Nipuna. The Nritya Nipuna, translating to “dance expert†titled Garima as one who has mastered the art of dancing. After 12 years of rigorous training under the guidance of her Guru, Smt. Jasmine Shah of Aangikam Dance Academy, Garima showcased her talent on the stage of Nashua High School North.
The program kicked off with six Bharatnatyam performances, a style of Indian classical dance originating in Tamil Nadu. Through intense footwork, facial expressions, and grace, precision and power became one in these remarkable performances. In one dance, titled Draupadi, Garima told the entire life story of Draupadi, the main female protagonist of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Her own voice in recorded dialogues, along with her enthralling expressions left the audience in shock. Garima finished off the first half of the program with Thillana, a vibrant carnatic piece that concluded the Bharatnatyam section of the evening.
Garima picked up the second half of the program with a significant change, now being presented in a Phanek, a costume native to Manipur, a state in Northeast India. Garima performed two Manipuri dances before changing once again to show yet another aspect of her dance training. Next was a fan favorite, the Bollywood song, Jai Jai Shiv Shankar, to which Garima performed an energy-filled dance choreographed in a fusion between Bharatnatyam and Hip-Hop. Following this was a Kathak performance, another style of Indian classical dance. In this dance, Garima shared the stage with her sister, Juhi, who is also trained from Aangikam Dance Academy. The final performance was a Rajasthani folk dance, Ghoomar, performed in a colorful Ghagra, wowing the audience. The event concluded with Mangalam, a traditional prayer in which the dancer expresses gratitude to God, their Guru, and their friends and family.
On this day, all of Garima’s hard work came to bloom, along with the hard work of all of her friends and family who helped make the event an incredible success.
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