Arya Palakurthi , student of Sridevi Thirumalai, Natyamani School of dance presented her Arangetram (solo dance recital) at Sorenson Arts Theater, Babson College, Wellesley on October 1^st, 2005.  Arya is a 8^th grade student at Westwood Thurston school. The nattuvangam was ably handled by Sridevi Thirumalai who is herself a renowned dancer and choreographer.

 The first dance was an invocation Pushpanjali followed by an Alarippu, Jatiswaram and Kirtana. The hard work and perseverance that went into this event was evident in these pieces.  The highlight of the day’s program was the Varnam where Arya displayed her abhinaya skills in the navarasas (nine moods) strung together in nine ragas. Underlying each mood Arya retold the story from an epic or folklore. Her lively footwork and enchanting poses was a delight to watch.

 The music which flowed in a rhythmic manner changing ragas to suit different aspects of the dance added to the beauty of this piece. The choreography for this item was meticulously done, which enhanced the overall grace of this piece and was understood and appreciated by the audience. She followed this up with a Padam and ended with a the traditional Tillana and Mangalam.

 The music was rich and melodious with  Srihari Rangaswamy who played the Mridangam, and Sri Srivatsa who gave excellent vocal support  along with Tara Anand on the violin and Sri Narashimhamurthy Ramamishra on the Flute.

 Arya has been learning this classical style from Sridevi Thirumalai for more than 9 years and for a thirteen year old she is very confident. “This has been a great experience for me and has taught me discipline, patience and given me a lot of maturity” she says.

 Arangetram literally means ‘ ascending the stage’ for a dancer. The performance is dedicated to Lord Nataraja ( Shiva as a cosmic dancer) and to the Guru and the audience.
 

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