‘An Awesome Ascent’ – Tara Krishnan's Arangetram

September 7 was a special and momentous day for Tara Krishnan, a student of Guru Sunanda Narayanan of Thillai Fine Arts Academy, Newton, MA. On that fine fall afternoon, the Eleanor Welch Casey Theater at Regis College in Weston was decorated aesthetically for Tara’s arangetram (solo debut). The audience was an eclectic mix of Indians and non-Indians, gathered to enthusiastically support Tara in the bliss of a dance recital.

Arangetram refers to the ‘ascending of the stage’ of a young dancer, who has been trained by a guru (teacher) for several years. There is elaborate mention of this practice in the third century classic Silappadikaram, by Prince Ilango Adihal, in the “Arangetrukaadai”. The poet vividly describes the "graduation recital of the twelve- year old dancer Madhavi; as she presents her invocation dance, the king awards her a wreath of green leaves, 1008 gold coins, and the title of “talaikol” or lead dancer.  I describe this here to draw attention to the many non-Indians in the audience; their presence at the arangetram and their enthusiastic support was a wonderful gift to Tara for her dedication and devotion to this art form.

Tara commenced her performance with the traditional Thodaya Mangalam, sung in praise of the deities at the Vazhuvoor temple in South India and followed it with a Pushpanjali in ragam Saraswathi. Tara's strong nritta training came through flawlessly in these opening pieces. Alarippu, a warm-up for a dance recital, was set to misram (7-beat cycle), a distinct advancement from the traditional thisra nadai (3 beats).

The next item was the popular Ananda Nartana Ganapathim Bhavaye in ragam Nattai, which brought the audience into the realm of a bharatyanatyam recital. Instead of following it up with a jathiswaram in a traditional margam, Tara proceeded to perform her elaborate varnam "Devar munivar", a composition of Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman. This was a testament to the hard work put in by Tara, her guru, Sunanda and the musicians, in bringing out the nuances of a challenging varnam to a diverse audience. The brilliant choreography showcasing the greatness of Lord Venkateshwara, with events from Ramayana and Mahabharatha and ending with the Gitopadesham, was very well understood and demonstrated by Tara.  

In Naaatyamado Nataraja, a composition of the contemporary lyricist, "Arasi" Rajee Krishnan, Tara gracefully implored Nataraja to dance and dispel the darkness of ignorance and conceit in the devotee's heart. Thaaye Yasodha, another time-tested piece followed and Tara tastefully depicted the delight of Gopikas as they complained, coaxed and marveled at Lord Krishna's pranks and deeds.

In Themmangu, a folk melody composed by Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, Tara was quite lively in describing a nayika's ecstasy about her secret love for a young stranger, who she had just met in the garden.

The fitting finale, a Thillana, or the final dance of pure joy, in ragam Khamas, was a wonderful culmination to the evening's performance. Naadavindu, was presented as the Mangalam, with a short verse addressed to Lord Muruga, seeking divine grace for one and all.

Tara Krishnan, a busy and smart 16-year old, is blessed with an expressive face and a natural flair for dance. She proved that one has to personally experience the bliss of dancing, and rejoice in it before passing on that sense of bliss to the audience. After the recital, it was a wonderful experience, reliving the highlights of the performance with the other members of the audience present at the arangetram.

It is a challenge for a guru when introducing the items of a Bharatanatyam recital to be concise and succinct. Sunanda kept her introductions short and sweet, and managed the show efficiently, keeping the recital to the schedule outlined in the program brochure.

Mention must be made of the notable accompanying artists whose music blended seamlessly with the movements in the poetry of dance. Smt. Geetha Murali lent wonderful vocal support with her fine and soulful voice; Sri. Murali Balachandran, displayed mastery as a percussionist on the mridangam; and Guru Sunanda on the nattuvangam provided superb rhythmic support. The melodic aspects were synergistically enhanced by the magical notes of Smt. Tara Anand on the violin, and Smt. Durga Krishnan, on the veena. According to the Natya Shastra, for a successful recital, the dancer, musicians and the audience have to blend harmoniously together and this recital was a fine example of that.

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