The students of guru Sridevi Thirumalai treated area dance enthusiasts to a brilliant Bharatanatyam Ballet ˜Nirthya Kalai’ on September 19th at the Keefe Tech auditorium in Framingham.

The near flawless production of the ancient dance form was presented by nine talented young ladies who looked like exquisite statues come to life, sculpting their stories through Bhartanatyam. Performing the most complex of jathis with consummate ease, their eyes smiling constantly, the rhythm and the dancer seemed to merge into one in perfect harmony.

The soul elevating presentation featured iconographic postures, fluent footwork, accurate postural stances, great stage presence and sensitive portrayals of the various moods of nayikas and devotees. Elaborate Nritta and Abhinaya pieces were handled with admirable maturity and confidence.

The evening began with the traditional Pushpanjanli which was followed by Ganesha Stuti, Jatiswaram, Ashta Lakshmi, Varnam, two Padams, a Bhajan and the conclusion was a thrilling Thillana.

The various aspects of Lakshmi as one who grants the boon of victory, prosperity, happiness, etc. was presented in the most graceful style in Ashta Lakshmi with the dancers striking excellent formations on stage. Sridevi Thirumalai's choreography elevated the program to new heights of artistic brilliance. Gouri Ghorpadey emceed the event with Sridevi Thirumalai introducing each item in her trademark clear and precise style.

The dancers were joined on the stage by a team of exemplary musicians, Ms. P. Ramaa gave scintillating vocals while Tara Anand on the violin, Ravi Chandra Kulur on the flute and Janardhan Rao on the Mridangam and Guru Sridevi on nattuvangam complemented the ensemble.

Said Raju Parulkar, proud parent of one of the dancers, Isha, "All the students and the teacher have worked day and night to perfect every aspect of the dance presentation. It is good to see their dedication and hard work bearing fruit."

We also caught up with another beaming parent, pleased as punch with the way the whole event had panned out. Said Rango Kesavan, whose daughter Sangita turned in a confident and skilled performance "Sridevi and the girls put in hours and hours of hard work into this production. Their commitment to the project was tremendous!"

The meticulous training imparted by Guru Thirumalai and her passion for perfection and involvement in this ancient dance form was evident in the performance, which was also a testimony to the students' dedication and hard work. The dancers who presented Nritya Kalai were Shivani Srivastava, Neha Garge, Swathi Maddula, Gaya Sooriyakumar, Jyotsana Vinayak, Ahalya Kodali, Sangita Keshavan, Isha Parulkar and Anunita Garg.

|