Arangetram_Brochure

Sanskriti School of Dance proudly presents… Bharatnatyam Arangetram of Shanmathee Aryah Disciple of Guru Smt. Chitra Ramaswamy When: Saturday, August 13th, 2022 @3:30 PM EST Where: Millstone Middle School, Millstone, NJ

The oldest classical dance heritage of India rooted from Natya Arangetram literally meaning “ascending the stage” is a solo debut Sastra, which originated in Tamil Nadu and flourished in the performance of a classical dancer after years of meticulous training under the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times. The tutelage of a Guru. This marks the pathway for a dancer to passonthisart art form harmoniously expresses “Raga”, “Bhava” & “Tala”. formtootheraspiringlearnersoftheart.Atraditional Arangetram follows a It is a manifestation of the celebration of the eternal universe definite course of dance items called “Margam”. A typical margam through the beauty of the mortal human body. The includes Pushpanjali, Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Bharatanatyam repertoire encompasses Nritta, Nritya, and Padham, Keerthanam, Thillana, and Mangalam. Natya. Originally being a temple dance for women, Bharathanatyam is often used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions. Hindu God Shiva, the divine cosmic dancer is considered a god of this dance form, as he is said to be the source of all movement within the cosmos represented by the arch of flames.

Guru Smt. Chitra Ramaswamy started her dance journey at the age of nine under the guidance of Guru Padmashree Adyar K. Lakshmanan of Chennai. She is also a computer engineering graduate from the much accredited B I T S Pilani, India. She established the Sanskriti School of Dance in 2005 in NJ and is currently it’s artistic director. Chitra is an established dancer who has given many performances all over India, U.K., and U.S.A. Guru Chitra passionately combines original audio, visuals, and choreography to create both mythological and modern productions that have earned a lot of fame across the world. “Dhruva”, “Vismaya”, “Ramayanam” & “Jwala” are a few of her visionary productions staged thus far. She continues to inspire her students to pursue this divine art form and keep it alive for generations to come!

Shishya Shanmathee Aryah is a rising sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the Drexel University, Pennsylvania. She had commenced her dance journey at the age of 7, under the tutelage of Guru.Smt.Chitra Ramaswamy. She has always been an integral part of Sanskriti and it’s major dance productions across the US and the UK. She has represented Sanskriti in numerous programs & competitions including the American Eye Foundation Fund Raiser, Philly Youth Dance Festival, NJNS and the renowned Cleveland Thyagaraja Dance Festival. Her immense passion for dance has also driven her to be the founder and director of “RAADA” (Robbinsville Asian/American Dance Association) a fusion dance club at the Robbinsville High School. She has always focused on community services through dance, which was well accomplished via Sanskriti’s volunteer programs at senior centers, fund raisers etc. She is an energetic & graceful dancer be it classical or non-classical and consistently strives to give her best shot at it every time! She is not only a classical dancer, but is equally interested in other popular dance styles such as Bollywood, Hip hop, Bhangra etc. This versatility has helped her to successfully make it to “Drexel Jhalak” the college dance team and win many accolades in the nationwide competitions over the past year. Shanmathee’s other interests include light music singing, painting & culinary arts.

Pushpanjali…Nirutha Ganapathiye Ragam: Ragamalika As a tradition, an Arangetram always commences with Talam:Adi “Pushpanjali'' the invocatory dance in a Bharatanatyam Composer: Annamacharya repertoire in which the dancer pays her obeisance, thereby seeking the blessings of the Almighty, her Guru, beloved family and the audience for a successful performance. “ Nirutha Ganapathiye” a salutation to the elephant headed Hindu God of beginnings follows the Pushpanjali. The dancer hereby prays to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles to pave the path for a jubilant performance.

Alarippu…Aadu Pambe Ragam: Ragamalika “Alarippu” typically means the blossoming of a flower. Talam:Adi This Nritta item is a ritual dance prelude solely based Composer: Annamacharya on rhythm and is focused on relaxing the dancer’s body and mind. This piece symbolizes the dancer’s awakening compared to a bud blooming into a flower. “Aadu Pambe” the most popular classical piece depicting the significance of snakes in Hindu mythology is embedded into the Alarippu. Snakes have always been a divine part of the Hindu Gods, to name a few… Lord Shiva with the serpent around his neck represents fearlessness and power, Lord Murugan’s peacock vahana has a snake at it’s feet, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and the glorious God Vishnu who himself lies on the serpent bed. The Alarippu sets the beat to the slithering snake movements.

Kalyani Jathiswaram Ragam: Kalyani Jathiswaram is a pure Nritta item that evokes a sense of Talam:Adi harmony and joy in the hearts of the spectators. It deals with the Composer: Annamacharya execution of adavus and mudras combined in definite patterns. The dance emphasizes nimble footwork, the movements of the body and hands, set with the repetitive music notes called swarams. The dancer displays her versatility in elaborate footwork and graceful movements of the body. Swaras and Jathis are woven together in a particular ragam and thalam in a Jathiswaram. .

Devi Kauthuvam Ragam: Ragamalika Talam:Adi Composer: Annamacharya Devi Kauthuvam is in praise of the multi-faceted goddess Shakthi, the female energy of Lord Shiva who is an absolute manifestation of divinity in her many forms. She is motherly and kind to her seekers but when confronted with evil, her ferocity horrifies even the most terrible of demons. This Kauthuvam is a celebration of goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Parvathi & Durga thus encompassing the different aspects such as compassion, wisdom, wealth, power, beauty, strength, anger, fear and transformation of mother divine.

Varnam…Konjum Salangai Ragam: Ragamalika Varnam is the focal and the most demanding item in a Margam, which Talam:Adi not only challenges the dancer’s imaginative & dancing skills, but is also a good Composer: Annamacharya alternation between pure Nritta and Abhinaya. “Konjum Salangai” is an utmost tribute to the cosmic dancer lord Nataraja. This presiding deity’s divine dance is considered the source of creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. This varnam is a depiction of the association of the five natural elements with the upholder, wherein the syllables Na| Ma| Shi| Va| Ya| indicate Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. In this humble offering, the dancer interestingly portrays the following dimensions of Lord Shiva… ❖ The snake coiled around his neck represents the control of fear and death.. ❖ The river Ganga flows out from his head to mankind.. ❖ The cresent controls nature’s time cycle.. ❖ Tandava avatar overcomes ignorance with music & dance.. ❖ The fire from his third eye annihilates evil.. ❖ Ardhanarishwar form symbolizes the balance of masculine & feminine energies in the universe..

Keerthanam…Kaliyuga Varadhan Ragam: Brindavana Saranga Talam:Adi Composer: Periyasaami Tooran This Keerthanam is a celestial offering to the son of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. Lord Murugan a personification of beauty, war, victory & knowledge is a powerful deity seated on the beautiful peacock vahana. Kaliyuga Varadhan translates to the granter of boons in the present dark age of quarrel & distress. This item illustrates the almighty’s varied life episodes.

Keerthanam…Mudhugare Yashoda Ragam: Ragamalika Talam:Adi Composer: Annamacharya This is a very sweet Keerthanam by Annamacharya that oozes out with his love for the adorable lord Krishna. This song compares the various leelas of the innocent little Krishna with the precious gems named navaratna. The song describes the lord as a pearl which bejewels Yashoda’s courtyard, a ruby in every shepherd woman’s palm, a diamond that reigns the stubborn Kansa, an emerald of the lustrous three worlds, the coral of Rukmini’s lip, the hessonite of the Govardhana mountain, a yellow sapphire that spreads over the serpent Kalinga and the blue sapphire that reigned over the Venkata hills. As a summary, the dancer sketches him as a divine jewel, an embodiment of joyful playfulness & love adored by everyone!

Keerthanam…Karnan Ragam: Ragamalika Talam:Adi Composer: Annamacharya This keerthanam is a subtle salute to one of the main protagonists of the hindu epic “Mahabharatam”. Karnan the “ear ringed” one was an invincible warrior remarkably known for his generosity. He was the son of god Surya and princess Kunti. He was sadly abandoned by his own mother and grew up in a class lower than the Kshatriyas. This item talks about the noble characteristics of this tragic hero who gave up his life for friendship.

Thillana…Desh Thillana Ragam: Ragamalika Thillana is a brisk and lively number performed towards the end of a Bharathanatyam Talam:Adi recital, consisting of tala-like phrases in the pallavi/anu pallavi and lyrics in the Composer: Annamacharya charanam. It is a joyful & rhythmic composition which radiates the unique performance charm associated with it. Desh Thillana is in praise of Lord Murugan the god of war & victory.

Mangalam…Bhaktha Jana Vatsale Ragam: Ragamalika Talam:Adi Composer: Annamacharya Mangalam signifies an auspicious ending to the recital. It ritually follows the Thillana. This Mangalam is an abhang dedicated to Panduranga Vittala who is considered to be a manifestation of Lord Vishnu or his avatar Lord Krishna. The dancer thereby pays her respect and gratitude to the Almighty, Guru, Orchestra and the audience thus bringing the event to an auspicious ending.

Nattuvangam: Guru Smt. Chitra Ramaswamy Master of Ceremony: Smt. Sripriya Karthikeyan Vocal: Smt. Krupa Baskar Makeup: Smt. Padmashri Ashish Mridangam: Sri. Mahesh Subramanian Video & Photography: Fotolaya Rhythm Pad: Sri. Karthik Ramasubramanian Facilities & Lights: Millstone twp Performing Arts Center Flute: Sri. Sai Kishore Sound: James Audio Violin: Sri.Vishal Sowmyan Stage Backdrop: VSDeco, Edison, NJ Costumes: Aiyyelu Dance Costume, Chennai - India We offer our heartfeltgratitudeto one & all for the esteemed presenceand encouragement. Appreciateyourtime and effort in joining us and making our lifetime occasionthe most cherishable !!