Summer in New England, is a perfect balance of nature; with sunshine, a light breeze, and a temperature that makes one feel perfect. A season to enjoy the beauty here at home. What adds to this is the many Arangetrams that are held during the summer, so that I now call it the Arangetram season!

I look forward to experiencing the Arangetram of friends children and students of dance teachers.  Attending the Arangetram of Ashwini Vytheswaran this year was special. I have been following Ashwini for a few years now and have watched her enthusiasm for dance grow and mature. She is willing to work hard and make extra effort to learn nuances of the art form. This was apparent when she took the time to take special Abhinaya classes last year with Madhavi Mudgal, a renowned Odissi dancer and teacher (my guru) who was visiting the Boston area.

It didn’t matter to Ashwini that Madhavi ji was an exponent of Odissi, she wanted to explore the dance form by taking classes with her. Ashwini religiously came every afternoon and learnt a short ashtapadi from the Gita Govind. Similarly she has taken classes from several gurus, like C.V. Chandrasekhar, Bragha Bessel, Rama Vaidyanathan, Kirti Ramgopal and Guru Smt. Radha.  

The training and inputs from all her teachers was clearly evident in her performance on August 17, 2014  at Regis College in Weston. A student of Sunanda Narayanan, Ashwini has learnt the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam known for its more fluid and graceful movements, picturesque poses and pure dance rigor. 

Ashwini is only 13 and entering the eighth grade. Her enthusiasm for  dance came through from the sequence of diverse dance pieces she chose to perform in the specific margam or journey that showcased her mastery of rhythm, pure dance and Abhinaya or expressive dance. 

In expressive dance Ashwini chose a repertoire of pieces that was diverse and allowed her to explore the full spectrum of expressions and emotions throughout her performance. From the sequences in the Varnam .. to the beautiful symbolic form of Nataraja in Idadhu Padam; to the emotions of a mother in a contemporary poem, Odi Vilayaadu Paapa; to the description of Muruga devotees in folk song, Kavadi Chindu; Ashwini transformed from a naughty Krishna, to an understanding mother, a lover, a devotee and a forgiving mother to name a few. 

The pure dance pieces that Ashwini performed allowed her to display the stylized and graceful aspects of Bharatanatyam that was slowly built up in vigorous dance sequences depicted  through master choreography in all the pieces. Several pure dance sequences with emphasis on complex footwork and fast paced rhythmic patterns allowed Ashwini to show her perfect command of the pure dance as well. The grand finale, a Tillana in Raga Maund, composed by Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman, was my favorite, as the depiction of all names of the Mother Goddess in the verse segment, took the Rasikas to a completely new level.  

 

It is so special to see the deep relationship the teacher and student develop over the years of the dance training. It is indeed a wonderful gift for young students to have another adult contribute to their lives in such a deep and important way.  Sunanda does  a great job of instilling the Guru-Shisya parampara in her students. It was very apparent in Ashwini’s case as she thanked and acknowledged her teacher at the end of her performance. The family support contributes a tremendous amount in the learning process and must be commended. It takes a great deal of patience to navigate the young mind to build the energy, stamina and mental agility to soak in the emotions and perform with exquisite expressions. A salute to both parents and Ashwini’s brother for supporting her through these years. 

The orchestra had music stalwarts of the New England Community like Geetha Murali; Vocalist, Tara Anand on the Violin, Durga Krishnan on the Veena, Murali Balachandran on the Mridangam and G. S Rajan on the Flute whose contribution made the program musically pleasing. 

Ashwini’s Arangetram which is described as “Ascending the Stage” marks a formal completion of the dance training and showcases her as a dancer. It’s a celebration of her journey in dance. Still in the eighth grade, Ashwini has a few years before she goes off to college, and I hope she will continue her learning of dance with her teacher that will enrich both her and the community. I wish her good luck with her dancing career.