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| Arangetram: Shilpa Bhat |
Shilpa Bhat
08/28/2012
A MILESTONE IN MY JOURNEY THROUGH DANCE
July 22, 2012 will be etched in my memory as an experience of a lifetime, and something that I will always cherish. This day culminated ten years of Bharatanatyam training with my guru Jayshree Bala Rajamani. Preparing for this milestone was a feat for my entire family. The long practice sessions, intense music rehearsals, and the arrangements for the event took a lot of effort. It was exciting to finally have the opportunity to perform solo in front of a large audience.
My exposure to dance started at the age of three with my participation in group dances at events organized by New England Kannada Koota and Indian Association of Greater Boston. This early exposure and my love for dance encouraged me to take up learning Indian dance in a formal way. I started learning Bharatanatyam from Jayshree Didi (as she is affectionately called) at the tender age of five. The training and guidance that I received from my guru for the Arangetram transformed me from a person into an artist. Jayshree Didi understood my abilities as a dancer, nurturing my strengths and transforming my weaknesses into talents. It was inspiring to watch her choreograph dance numbers for my Arangetram. Her perseverance to help me get things right has shown me what it takes to accomplish a goal. The hardest part of Arangetram preparation was juggling my school work with dance practice. I soon realized that learning and perfecting ten dance numbers and dancing for two continuous hours was not going to be easy. I literally spent the last six weeks eating, drinking, and breathing dance.
The actual day of my Arangetram was pretty calm. I arrived at the National Heritage Museum auditorium early afternoon. As I headed towards the dressing room, the only thought in my mind was “I can’t believe this day has finally come.†I had no idea how I would feel at the end of my Arangetram - Would I be happy that it was over and I could relax? Or would I be sad that I would never get to experience this day again? Soon, the program started and I had to forget whatever I was thinking about and just concentrate on my dance.
During my first dance (Ganesha Kautvam), I was nervously thinking about the audience’s reaction to my performance. What if they didn’t like it? I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard loud clapping at the end of my first dance. That applause meant so much to me. It gave me a burst of energy that no one can describe and got me really excited for the following dances. Ask anyone who has done their Arangetram, and they will tell you that after the first dance number, the rest of the dance numbers go by in a flash. After each dance number was completed, I went backstage to get my make-up touched up and to gulp down a special energy drink while reflecting on my performance so far. I just couldn’t believe that I was enjoying myself, totally engrossed in the divine music and the characters that I portrayed.
The first words I said at the beginning of my thank you speech were “Wow! I can’t believe I’m here.†The emotions that I felt at the end of the Arangetram were unexplainable and I could not help shedding tears of joy. The standing ovation that I received at the end of the Mangalam instilled a huge sense of self accomplishment that I had never felt before. The person I have to thank for this the most would be my Guru Jayshree Didi, who inspired me to dance as well as I could. The support that I received from my family and friends made my Arangetram experience very memorable to me.
My Arangetram has also been an exhilarating learning experience. While mastering the complex facial expressions and movements, and understanding the spiritual and mythological ties to my Indian roots are a lifelong learning process, the preparation for the Arangetram has provided me a strong foundation and has molded me into a confident dancer. It has taught me values such as hard work, dedication, focus, and has given me a deeper connection to my Indian culture and heritage. During the last week before my Arangetram, I got to rehearse with highly accomplished musicians and witnessed music and dance coming together. I saw how the Mridangist worked the different jathis into my Varnam. It was a rewarding experience to see my guru, the Mridangist, and I create and dance to a whole new jathi just two weeks before my Arangetram. In addition, I had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of four of my fellow dancers (Bhavana Vissapragada, Nikila Vasudevan, Sravani Kumar, and Ambika Jaykumar) who had their Arangetrams in the weeks before mine. My knowledge of Carnatic music helped me gain a better appreciation for the different musical thalas and ragas of my dance songs. Seeing stories take form, come to life, and evolve was magical.
My Arangetram also provided me an opportunity to give back to the less fortunate. Since I received so much from everyone around me, I thought that I should give back to the society. I was happy to receive $1,175 by way of donations to AB Asha from people who attended my Arangetram. AB Asha is an after-school club at Acton-Boxborough High School that is affiliated with Asha for Education (http://www.ashanet.org/). The fact that I was helping others by dancing made my Arangetram experience so much more enjoyable. I hope to continue my passion for dance throughout my life and will always be indebted to my guru, parents, family and friends for helping me realize my dreams.
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