Amrita Sridhar presented her Bharatha Natyam arangetram at the Norwood High School on September 8, 2013. Amrita is a student of Guru Smt. Sunanda Narayanan, an acclaimed exponent of the Vazhuvoor bani of Bharatha Natyam, a senior disciple of the renowned Guru Smt. Rhadha and director of the Thillai Fine Arts Academy in Newton MA. Amrita has also received training from senior Bharatha Natyam gurus such as Smt. Kirthi Ramgopal, Smt. Bragha Bessel and Guru Smt. Rhadha herself.

Presentations from the Thillai School excel in technique and skill and Amrita’s arangetram was no exception.  Amrita demonstrated strong ability in the elements of Bharatha Natyam- nritta, angha suddha, laya and abhinaya- but also a deeper sensibility for the art beyond movement.  As always with the Thillai School, there was no compromise in choreography or the demand it placed on the young debutante.

The recital opened with a Thodaya Mangalam in praise of the Gods of the Vazhuvoor Temple and a Pushpanjali describing Goddess Saraswathi as the embodiment of beauty in music and nature.  Pushpanjali was followed by Alarippu in Thisra Nadai, which already showcased elements of this Bhani such as flourishes in the resting finishes and transitions between avarthanams.

Next was “Nardhana Vinayaka” in Kapi, in which Lord Ganesha and His manifestations were depicted in the swaying gait of an elephant and various poses. The piece included a unique portrayal of Ganesha as the divine scribe of the Mahabharatha and an effective account of how He sacrificed His tusk in order to complete transcription of the verses with no pause.  

Following a musical interlude by the orchestra team, Amrita presented the Varnam, the centerpiece of the recital. Amrita presented the grand Shanmukapriya Varnam “Devar Munivar Thozhum Padam”, a composition of late violin Maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, Lord of Thirupathi.   Dance, poetry and music combined to create powerful imagery and mood; at the center of this rasika experience was this remarkable young dancer.

The varnam was a testament to the standards of Guru Sunanda’s training and to the unflinching efforts of Guru and Shishya that result in such an outcome. Amrita danced with an ease that belied the toil required to not just present such a piece but to present it with insight. Amrita made short work of the nritta passages which comprised the lexicon of adavus and seamless changes in kala pramanam and gathi.   Amrita’s interpretation of lyrics and sancharis conveyed characters, stories and images with authenticity and a proficiency in abhinaya that seemed beyond her years.  The choreography was, of course, masterful- rooted in tradition but with creative elements such as myriad depictions of Vishnu Perumal in the swara passages and arudhi that heightened artistic impact.

In the second half of the recital, the first piece,“Shankara Sri Giri” by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, depicted the dancing glory of Lord Nataraja through dynamic rhythm and movement. In “Aadinaye Kanna”, Amrita described the beauty of Brindavan as Krishna, Radha and the Gopis dance to the melody of His flute on a moonlit night. This was followed by the Javali “Smara Sundaraguni” in which the heroine boasts to her friends about her hero, peerless in her eyes.  Amrita performed the abhinaya pieces with clarity and understanding of the bhava and subtexts of the piece. Amrita concluded her recital with a Thillana in Sri Ragam, missing not one aksharam as she effortlessly spanned the stage in circles, lines and diagonals, leaps and jumps.

Guru Sunanda commanded the stage with her impeccable nattuvangam. The orchestra team comprised of Kum. Latika Sridhar on vocal, Guru Smt. Tara Anand on violin, Sri Murali Balachander on mridangam, and Sri G. S. Rajan on flute. This orchestra provided veteran support to Amrita, adding depth and dimension to every piece. The children of our community are truly blessed that our senior Gurus provide such gracious support and inspiration to them.

Of special note was the young vocalist, Latika, senior student of Guru Tara and sister of Amrita.  Latika provided strong support to her sister, without a single falter, her lovely voice conveying bhava in every piece.  Deserving particular mention were Latika’s elaborations in Shanmukapriya during the Varnam sancharis, which created powerful emotive effect.  

The sophistication of the presentation was reinforced by other elements such as Guru Sunanda’s eloquent introductions of the pieces, professionalism of the sound and lighting and the refined aesthetic of the stage décor.

Without question, Amrita’s arangetram demonstrated capability in technique and presentation- an achievement in itself. More importantly, Amrita conveyed a deeper comprehension of Bharatha Natyam that will undoubtedly take her to the next phase of her journey as a dancer.

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