Nilanjana’s Journey to Center Stage

Nearly a decade after beginning Bharatanatyam at the age of five, Nilanjana Seal, now a 10th-grade student at Westford Academy, took center stage at Littleton High School on August 15, 2026, for her Arangetram under the guidance of Guru Smt. Preethi Ramesh of Sarasa Natya Academy. As her aunt, I have had the joy of watching Nilanjana grow from a little girl into the young woman she is today. Seeing her walk onto that stage with such confidence and grace was deeply moving, because I was not just watching a performance. I was watching someone I have known and loved for years step into a moment she had worked toward for so long.

Nilanjana began with Pushpanjali, set to Ragam Nattai and Adi Talam, followed by Ganesha Keerthanam, Shri Vignarajam Bhaje, in Ragam Gambhira Nattai and Khanda Chapu Talam, composed by Oottukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer. These opening pieces gave the evening a calm, devotional start. The Jatiswaram in Ragam Bhairavi and Roopakam Talam, a composition by the Tanjore Quartet, then let Nilanjana simply dance. Her footwork and sense of rhythm made it easy to see the training behind what we were watching.

One of my favorite moments came during Kalyana Rama, set to Ragam Hamsanadham and Adi Talam, composed by Oottukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer. The piece tells the story of King Janaka’s swayamvara, where one of the suitors, the mighty king Ravana, tries to lift Lord Shiva’s mighty bow before Rama succeeds and wins Sita’s hand. What stood out was how easily Nilanjana moved from one character to another. One moment she was a proud suitor Ravana, the next she was Rama with his gentle grace, and then to beautiful and graceful Sita. The changes in her face and body language were immediate and clear. Watching her handle those switches so naturally made me think, “When did this little girl learn to do all of this?”

The Varnam, Maye Manam Kanindhu Purivaye, in Ragam Simhendramadhyamam and Adi Talam, composed by Madurai Sri R. Muralidharan, was the evening's centerpiece. The piece is an appeal to Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai, showing her warmth and compassion toward her devotees as well as the strength of a fearless warrior. For me, this was where Nilanjana completely took command of the stage. Her Varnam part was spectacular. The Varnam is long and challenging, and Nilanjana had to sustain the rhythm, movement, and emotion while moving between nritta and abhinaya. She made Meenakshi’s tenderness and strength feel distinct without losing the dance's flow. I knew how much work had gone into reaching this point, and watching her carry such a substantial piece with confidence was probably my proudest moment of the evening.

After the Varnam came Bho Shambho, invoking Lord Shiva as the compassionate protector and cosmic dancer, followed by Jaya Jaya Padmanabha Murare, which tells the story of Gajendra Moksha and Gajendra’s journey from struggle to surrender and divine rescue. Nilanjana closed the recital with the lively Thillana in Ragam Kunthalavarali, composed by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, followed by the traditional Mangalam.

The musicians added so much to the evening. Guru Preethi’s nattuvangam kept Nilanjana grounded in the rhythm throughout the recital. Vocalist Smt. Harini Darbha was especially memorable. Her voice was mesmerizing, and the feeling she brought to the compositions often seemed to draw even more expression from Nilanjana’s abhinaya. Sri Gaurish Chandrashekhar’s mridangam brought energy to the performance, Kum. Laya Raghav’s violin warmed the melodies, and Smt. Hema Balasubramanian’s flute added a gentle sweetness. At many points, the dancer and musicians seemed completely in sync, and that made the performance even more enjoyable to watch.

The evening was also honored by the presence of chief guest Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju, a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and teacher who founded Natyanjali and has dedicated decades to both the art form and community service. Recognized by the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2024 for 30 years of dedication, she brought a special perspective as an artist and educator who has guided more than 30 students through their own Arangetrams.

Seeing friends, community members, and others quietly come together to support Nilanjana’s special day fostered a sense of connection and gratitude in the audience.

One of the moments I will remember most, came after the dancing was over. Guru Preethi became emotional as she spoke about Nilanjana walking into her class for the first time at age five and about the journey they had shared since then. From the way she spoke, you could see their relationship had become much more than teacher and student. Guru Preethi has been Nilanjana’s teacher, mentor, friend, and, in many ways, another mother.

That moment meant a great deal to me because I had watched Nilanjana grow up at home and at family gatherings, while Guru Preethi had watched her grow through years of dance classes and rehearsals. Listening to Guru Preethi speak, I realized that we had each been fortunate to see a different part of Nilanjana growing up.

By the end of the evening, I did not feel that Nilanjana had reached the finish line. It felt more like she had reached a new stage in her journey. From her flawless footwork and timing in Jatishwaram to the rapid character transitions in Kalyana Rama, culminating in the confidence and maturity of her Varnam, her mastery of nritta, nritya, and natya shone through, beautifully demonstrating her profound dedication to the art form.  As her aunt, I could not have been prouder. The little girl I had watched grow up now looked completely at home on stage, and it was such a wonderful moment.

Nilanjana has performed and won at many competitions in the NEW England area including New England Malayali association (NEMA), Kerala association of New England(KANE), Prabasi of New England, New England Tamil Sangam(NETS), Tamil Makkal Mandram(TMM) and telugu association of Greater Boston(TAGB) and Dance for world community(DWC).

Congratulations to Nilanjana Seal, her family, Guru Smt. Preethi Ramesh, the accompanying artists, and Sarasa Natya Academy on this wonderful milestone. It was heartwarming to see family, friends, and the community come together to make the evening so special. May this Arangetram mark the beginning of many more beautiful moments in Nilanjana’s Bharatanatyam journey.