On the evening of December 8, people from all over Massachusetts witnessed multiple dance styles from India in Westford Academy. Sheetal Laad presented thirteen dances in a three-hour performance.  This performance, known as Nritya Nipuna means proficient at dance, and incorporates the grace of Manipuri and the vitality of Folk Dance with the aesthetic perfection witnessed in Bharatnatyam.  It is an important milestone in student’s dance career, after several years of rigorous training in Indian classical and folk dance, signifying both a permission as well as blessing from her teacher to debut her solo dance performance in front of an audience.

Sheetal awestruck the audience for three hours with graceful and rhythmic patterns of fast movements ranging from Bharatanatyam, the purest and oldest form of Indian classical dance, Manipuri, Kathak, to light, pulsating and fast Folk Dances.  Bharatanatyam originates in the southern part of India. Manipuri, known for its grace, is popular in northeastern India, whereas Kathak is famous in northern India.  One of the dances Sheetal presented was performed on a brass plate.  The folk dances presented by Sheetal were from states of Maharashtra and Rajasthan.  Over 250 people, who attended the event, congratulated Sheetal on her dance graduation and achievement, and said that they had never seen such a colorful and engaging program before.

Sheetal has been learning Indian classical dance from Jasmine Shah, a well-known accomplished teacher and founder of Aangikum Dance Academy, for over ten years.  Sheetal has shown a strong commitment and devotion to the art of dance.  She has performed in several cultural events such as Marathi Mandal, Gurjar, IAGB, and special performances choreographed by Jasmine.  Sheetal’s maturity as a dancer has empowered her to choreograph dances for a few cultural events.  An honors sophomore student at Lexington High School, she enjoys swimming with her high school swim team and is a George Lechner Math award winner, and is involved in several community services.

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