Hundreds were captivated by a riveting performance on the 31st of July. The fast paced hand, foot, neck, and eye coordination is unique to Indian classical dance. Shishyas Monali Gidwani and Shivangi Lohia delighted the audience with their graceful presentation . That evening, recognized as an Arangetram, marks the culmination of nearly a decade of dedication, determination, and devotion from both shishyas (students) as they trained under their Guru (instructor), Neena Gulati. The night is a test of proficiency before their guru and Lord Natraja. Without a doubt, both shishyas passed with flying colors as they mesmerized the audience in this edge-of-your-seat performance synced with live musicians and singers. The night ended with the dancers performing on the rim of a brass plate.

 â€œAscending the stage” is the literal translation of the word Arangetram; which dates back thousands of years. The art of Indian dance is believed to have come from Lord Shiva himself as he plays the role of Natraja (the Lord of Dance). Different styles have developed over the years; Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Kuchipudi, to name a few. The flawless demonstrations of each of these styles were shown that night. Any onlooker can agree that such an exhilarating performance is a clear result of continual dedication and practice. Monali started her training at age 8 under Neena Gulati. Since then, she has performed at various charities and organizations, as well as talent and culture shows. Such refined talent was also attained through the commitment of her parents, Suresh and Aarti Gidwani, who for nine consecutive years been giving up a few days out the week to support Monali in her ambitions. Throughout the years handling such an ambitious goal also came with the commitment of school and other extracurricular activities. But Monali polished the art of juggling these multiple commitments while still maintaining a social life. As the 31st approached, training became almost full-time, as Monali spent countless hours with Neena Gulati and Shivangi, putting final touches on her skills for the big event. Her facial expressions were vibrant and brought out colour to the stage. Her seamless motion and poses captivated the eye of the observer. The show ended with Monali and Shivangi in a piece of simultaneous coordination of hand, eye, and foot movement; all on the rim of a brass plate.

Shivangi Lohia also has shown flawless perfection. Shivangi has been training for her Aranagetram since age three under several gurus. Her devotion to dance led her to cross paths with Neenaji at age 15 and she decided to dedicate her loyalty to her for there on out. Shivangi’s mother, Mamta Lohia, also expressed sincere devotion in helping Shivangi reach the pinnacle of her dance career. Like Monali, Shivangi also performed at many cultural and charity shows. Her precise footwork and motion astonished those familiar with the art and the new alike.

Their guru, Neena Gulati exemplifies the guru-shishya tradition as she dedicates herself to the art of dance. The critics’ response to her Arangetram in 1961 was only the start, as she later performed for many organizations, including the United Nations, the Asia House, as well as numerous universities across the globe. Soon after, she founded the Triveni School of Dance in the heart of Brookline right off of the Boston University campus. Her constant devotion to both Monali, Shivangi, and the hundreds of other shishyas is a clear sign of devotion and love for her students and her passion for dance.

Even though this day marked the final test of mastery, both Monali and Shivangi’s dance journey does not end here. Both students will still be dancing under Neenaji for the following years as they go onto college. If you missed the show on the 31st, you can still catch another riveting performance on the 17th of August at an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts at 6:00pm. They will have the gracious pleasure of performing in the company of other students from the Triveni School of Dance. Both Monali and Shivangi graduated from high school and will be pursuing medical degrees at Simmons College and George Washington University in the fall.

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