Neha Pillai, disciple of Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju (Director of Natyanjali, Westford, MA) presented her arangetram on July 29, 2012 at the Littleton High School Performing Arts Center with grace, feeling and dedication.  Her flawless mudras (hand gestures), evocative expressions and feminine movements made for a pleasurable performance that hopefully signifies just the start of the next phase of this dedicated and graceful dancer’s artistic journey.

Her guru Smt. Jeyanthi set a varied program, with a range of thalams, expressions and stories to showcase Neha’s command of both footwork and abhinaya.  The arangetram opened with a Pushpanjali and Sri Vigna Rajam Bhaje, both set to Gambheera Nattai ragam and Khanda Chapu thalam.  Neha’s entrance was strong and majestic, lit by a glowing smile that stayed in full force for the entire performance; her joy in dance was apparent and infectious to the audience.  In this opening selection, Neha depicted Lord Ganesha skillfully with earnest expressions and rapid yet precise hand gestures.  Next came an Alarippu, set to Khanda Nadai thalam, in which Neha showed both strength and gracefulness.  The Jathiswaram, set to the evocative ragam Khamas and Adi thalam, followed.  Neha performed this pure dance piece with much poise.  The audience was treated again to Neha’s stirring abhinaya in the next piece, Sarasijakshulu, a shabdam in Ragamalika, set to Misra Chapu thalam and composed by the Tanjore Quartet.  Neha convincingly became each character—both in facial expression and body carriage—that she depicted in the sancharis (acting out a story).  She was brimming over with mischief as the playful Krishna who hides the gopis’ clothes and steals butter stored up high in clay pots.  Neha’s portrayal of one of the gopis was especially notable, skillfully showing her reluctance to enter into the cold river for a bath with comic grace, and displaying utter dismay and confusion when discovering her clothes missing.

The cornerstone of the arangetram, the varnam, was both beautifully choreographed and skillfully performed.  Samiyai Azhai Thodi Vaa Sakhiye, in Nava Ragamalika set to Adi thalam, described a devotee pining for Lord Shiva and asking her friend to bring Him to her.  Again, Neha’s ability to put on the mantle of a variety of characters was showcased by the many sancharis in this piece.  She was a devotee overcome with bhakthi and love, a skeptical woman who thinks that her devotee friend has lost her senses, a proud Kama trying to disturb Lord Shiva’s meditations with an arrow of love, and an enraged Lord Shiva who burns Kama to ashes.  This piece was notable not only for the stamina it required, but for the breadth of rasas (emotions) that Neha depicted, and Smt. Jeyanthi’s delightful choreography including many creative details in the story telling.

After a brief intermission, Neha presented Alarulu Kuriyaga, set to Shankarabharanam ragam and Adi thalam, describing the alluring and graceful dance of goddess Alarmelu, the consort of Lord Venkateshwara. She presented this rhythm-rich item with nimble ease.  Next, came two padhams on Lord Krishna, choreographed by two prominent gurus from Kerala, India.  Smt. Jeyanthi kindly included these two pieces in Neha’s arangetram repertoire, and they further showcased Neha’s mastery of abhinaya.  Enna Thavam Seidhanai Yashoda, composed by Papanasam Sivan and set to  Kapi ragam and Adi talam, was choreographed by Smt. Suma Narendra.  In this piece, Neha depicted beautifully the composer’s awe about the penance Mother Yashoda must have performed to become the chosen mother of Lord Krishna. One could see that this item was quite dear to Neha, as she so soulfully presented it.   In Oru Neram Engilum, a popular composition in Anandabhairavi ragam and Adi thalam, from G. Devarajan’s  album “Thulasi Theertham”, Neha described the grace and greatness of Lord Guruvayoorappan.  Neha studied this item under Smt. Kalamandalam Latha during her visit last summer to Boston.   The synergy among the musicians shone through at various points in this item, especially during the sanchari for “Hari nama keerthanam” and the bhajan lines “Krishna Krishna Mukunda Janardhana” and “Krishna Nattam” with a lilting jathi.

Neha finally escorted the audience with great reverence to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple of dance with her rendition of the thillana. Composed by Maharaja Swati Thirunal in Dhanashri  ragam and Adi thalam, the thillana’s choreography was embellished by time-synchronized jathis, a depiction of the rhythmic sounds emanating from  the dancer’s anklets and a description of how a variety of instruments come together to form a melodious fusion of sounds.  The thillana culminated in a plea to Lord Padmanabha to remove all the pangs of sorrow. It was truly an ecstatic finale to Neha’s performance.  Neha concluded her arangetram with the Thirupugazh, Eru Mayil Eri, in ragam Shanmukhapriya, serving as a mangalam.

Neha’s evident enthusiasm for dance was enhanced by the moving rendition of each of the songs by a highly skilled orchestra.  Smt. Uma Shankar’s vocals were melodious and moving, Sri Gaurishankar Chandrashekar’s mridangam and Sri Pranav Ghatraju’s tabla performances were rigorous and lively.  Sri Suresh Mathur’s flute was enchanting.  Kumari Rasika Murali was outstanding on the violin; her rendition of the Lord Nataraja bhajan “Bolo Bolo Sabmil Bolo,” during one of the interludes between dances was particularly beautiful and fitting for the occasion.  Guru Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju’s vibrant nattuvangam infused the jathis with energy.

Neha’s dedication to dance and her positive spirit shone throughout the performance.  A rising junior at the Advanced Math and Science Academy, Marlborough, MA, Neha’s passion for dance made her find the time and energy to prepare for an excellent recital in the midst of volunteering at the surgical care center of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, working as a teaching assistant at the Westford Kumon Learning Center and serving as Vice-President of the junior wing of the Kerala Association of New England and student editor of the bilingual community magazine Sameeksha.  Especially inspiring to younger dancers is that Neha’s energy and joy during the program remained unabated from start to finish despite a recent injury.  Neha’s excellent recital was a happy outcome of years of untiring efforts both by the dancer and her Guru, with support from their families.  It will be a pleasure to watch Neha continue to share her talents in the years to come.

|