An Arangetram

Last week, we watched a Bharata Natyam Arangetram performance by Ms. Chelna Galada, student of Padmashri Ananda Shankar Jayant, one of India's top performing artists. My daughter has been taking dance lessons with her for the past year and my wife joined recently, thanks to which we got invitations to the event.

This was the 25th disciple of Ananda Shankar getting to do an Arangetram - a feat that requires meeting the "exacting standards" of Ananda - in her 26 year teaching career. The highlight of the event was the varnam that was based on a story from Jain mythology - the fourteen dreams that Queen Trishala had when she was pregnant with Vardhamana Mahaveera.

The program brochure claimed that this was a world premiere of a Bharata Natyam performance narrating a Jain story - there have been narrations from other major world religions before. I have seen an earlier performance by Ananda Shankar and her troupe - Darshanam: An ode to the eye, which was another example of her pushing the boundaries of her art. A Hindu art form narrating stories from other religions is indeed a great example of India's multiculturalism (Prof. Amartya Sen's point in The Argumentative Indian - see my earlier post).

The performance itself was top-notch, to a layman's eye such as mine and to more discerning eyes, as attested to by none other than Chitra Visweswaran (a guest of honour for the function) during the "blessings" ceremony in the middle of the event. I did feel that Chelna danced better in the second half when she perhaps was more relaxed after the big examination (the varnam) was over and the grades were in.

It is great to see this art in its modern mode of operation - being passed from guru to disciple while both are performers. Chitra Visweswaran talked about students today having the added advantage of watching their teachers perform; while the performers of yesteryears learnt from nattuvanars, who were pure teachers.

Right from starting on time, up to the stage design, lighting, the composition and singing by Venu Madhav, this was a professionally organized event and it was free to boot. Looking forward to another one in a month or so.

- R. Balaji