Bharatanatyam Arangetram – Shreya Ramanathan

Priya Iyer: an aunt’s loving perspective

The numerous hours of practice and years of dedicated learning were on display during the impressive full-length Bharatanatyam Arangetram (debutante solo performance) of Shreya Ramanathan on Saturday, July 30, 2022 at Ayer Shirley Regional High School Auditorium. The rigorous and focused training received by 15 year-old Shreya in the traditional Kalakshetra style under the able mentorship guidance of Acharya Soumya Rajaram, founder of Samskriti School of dance in the Boston area, was evident.  Shreya, daughter of Sudha and Praveen Ramanathan, enthralled an audience of more than 200 with her natural flair for the classical art form.

The beautifully decorated foyer showcased Shreya’s dance journey with her teacher, in a nostalgic video. Prior to commencing the program, the dancer offered her namaskarams to Lord Nataraja, after which Acharya Soumya handed over the Salangai to Shreya and she sought the blessings of her grandparents, parents, and aunt.

True to a Bharatanatyam margam presentation at an Arangetram, Shreya opened her performance with an invocatory piece, the Alarippu in Tisra thalam.  Shreya started the Alarippu with poised attamis and precise rhythmic footwork and culminated the piece in a quick rhythmic sequence.   What followed next was the Jathiswaram in Ragamalika set to Misra Chapu thalam.  Shreya handled this exquisite piece with ease and brought out the underlying geometrical beauty of the abstract movements.  This was followed by “Thillai Ambalam”, composition of Thanjavur Arunachalam Pillai, a Ragamalika Shabdam in Misra Chapu, about Lord Shiva. One could see Shreya get comfortable, take control of the stage, and execute magnificently with expressions not just good and pretty but communicating to the audience and carrying her message through.  Following this, Shreya’s performance stepped up even more and she went on to perform a stellar Varnam, “Sakhi Ye” in Anandabhairavi set to Adi Thalam.  The different rhythmic patterns and the Sringara Nayika portrayal, expressing her love for the lord were compelling and engaging. The jathis (sequence of steps strung together) were clear and crisp while her expressions varied from displaying love to anguish to represent her pining for the lord.

The second half of the program opened with a Keerthanam “Kola Mayil Eri” in Karnaranjini and set to Adi thalam, in praise of Lord Muruga, commander-in-chief of the Devas and vanquisher of Soorapadman.  The highlight of Shreya’s recital was undoubtedly her rendition of “Rusali Radha” – a Marathi composition in Rag Yaman set to Misra Chapu and choreographed by Soumya as a Padham. Shreya portrayed the small conflict between the eternal lovers, Krishna and Radha, and the mixed emotions of love, frustration, and anger between them, with much fluency and ease. She could convey clearly that all of nature – the bees, the flowers, the peacocks, the birds and the creepers – all retract and start to fade without their love. But it is only a matter of time until they make-up and the world is well again.  Shreya then went on to perform another Keerthanam that is a favorite of her family “Vellayada Idhu Neramma”, a Tamil composition dedicated to Lord Muruga set to Ragam Shanmugapriya and Adi Thalam.  The Arangetram ended with a Hindolam Thillana, followed by the traditional Mangalam. Shreya mesmerized the audience with her immersion and great passion and as a member of the audience, we experienced the beauty of the classical Margam in its entirety.

The orchestral support at the Arangetram contributed tremendously to the success of the show and enhanced the atmosphere of the recital. Soumya Rajaram provided nattuvangam support. Her mastery of the art and her quiet confidence provided a spiritual backdrop to the entire performance.  The soulful singing by vocalist, Sahana Narayanan, the melodious and soulful accompaniments of flautist Anirudh Bharadwaj, and violinist Pranav Swaroop and the powerful mridangam playing by Gaurish Chandrashekar enthralled the audience. The spectacular support of the versatile and renowned musicians raised the level of enjoyment of the audience during this Arangetram.  The program was MCed by Shreya's cousin, Varsha Iyer.

I hope Shreya continues to cherish and nourish her passion for dance and enjoy all that Bharatanatyam has to offer, in the years to come.

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