Vote of Thanks

Good evening everyone.

Thank you so much to every one for being here today. When we had first decided that we wanted to have my Arangetram, my family and I did not know what we had signed ourselves up for. Over the course this past few months we have come to the conclusion that planning an Arangetram is like planning a wedding just "without a groom".

The journey that has led me up to this day has been quite interesting and with more ups than downs. There a lot people here today that I would like to thank for making this event a huge success. Looking through each row and seeing all of you that have come out for this event, I can find at least one thing to thank each one of you for. Everyone has contributed in one way or another A lot of time and effort was put into making this event a success. So If I forget someone please forgive me.

First I  am going to start by thanking God and then my Grandma,

“MY NANI “who flew down from India just for my Arangetram.
 “SO THANK YOU NANI I LOVE YOU. “

Then I want to thank my Guru, Vani Aunty. For the past 5 years she has been an amazing dance teacher to me . I started dancing with Guru Kavita Kuppuswamy or "Kavita teacher "as we all fondly called her and continued with Dr. Barboza for a year. Kavita teacher gave me a strong foundation and Vani Aunty continued where she & Dr Barboza left off and made me into the dancer that I am today. Vani Aunty has done an awesome job of preparing me for today.So thank u Vani Aunty.

Next I would like to thank my mom, dad and little brother Arnav. This event put a lot of pressure and stress on all of us day and night my mom was the on the phone with someone or the other planning, coordinating, booking, hiring, editing ,anything, you name it, she was working on it. At night instead of sleeping, she would be up on the phone till 3-4 in the morning talking to people in India and coordinating with my dad who was in UK for work.I am grateful to my parents for their persistence without which I don’t think I would ever started dancing. Dancing has become a very big part of my life, so thank you mom dad & Arnav for being there for me.

Next I want to thank Mr. Rivera, the Norwalk high school band director for helping us acquire the auditorium. Without him this Arangetram would probably have been in my back yard. Also a big  thank you to Ms. Pettibone the High school choir director and her assistant Ricky for taking care of the technical, lighting and sound part of the show.

I want to thank Renu Aunty for doing my hair, make up & basically keeping me sane backstage. She has been here since 11am this morning. So thank u Renu Aunty. I want to thank Shreya for keeping my confidence going in between performances.

I want to thank my chachu, who has been on his feet since this morning taking care of all the behind the scenes stuff here at the venue. I want to thank my chachi for just showing up yesterday & ironing all 3 of my costumes ( that was a lot of work), then again this morning and sowing my costumes so they hold for my performances.

I want to thank chachu and chachi, Shamaji, Juhi Aunty, Janita Aunty, Anu Aunty, Sonali Aunty , Cindy, for schlepping me to and from my class in Trumbull whenever my parents couldn’t. Thank you to Anu Aunty for being an awesome MC, Thank you to Zee aunty for being basically our Event Consultant. Thank you to Sharon for being our photographer & my mom's support system even though they met just 2 weeks back. Thank you Shawn for being our videographer.

I want to thank Vivek for taking all the awesome amazing pictures that you  are seeing in the brochures and in the displays outside.

Thank you to all of my mom's friends & my friends for being a part of the decoration & welcome committee.

Thank you everyone for coming today and making this day one that I will remember & cherish forever.

Mahika

Guest Book Sat -11th Aug 2012

 

Dear Mahika,

I wanted you to know how impressed I was with your Arangetram!  You were beautiful, graceful, full of love for dance and it showed!!  I was thrilled to be able to witness your many years of hard work.  I can't get over the amount of dances you performed and the physical strength you exhibited.  You are an amazing, smart, gorgeous young woman and I am blessed to know you and to watch you blossom!  Thank you for including me in your very special day!!

 I thank your family for including me - it meant so much!

Lots of love,Mrs. Fallon

We cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of such a special day for your family. As outsiders to your culture we were not sure what to expect. We were amazed with the grace, charm and beauty we saw in every dance. We are so much more enriched as a family after witnessing Mahika's special day .Thank you again !

Eva. ( Bartush Family)

Messages for Mahika

Dearest Mahika,

From the day you trotted in at the age of 4 or so, if I remember correctly, intomy  dance class, it was a joy to teach you. I feel very happy to see that as your Adi Guru, the traditions and discipline of learning and practicing Indian Classical dance (Odissi) that I was able instill in you, you adhered to it through thick and thins with the guidance of your parents and grew to be an accomplished dancer. For all the joys of dance we shared every moment shall be close to my heart and I wish you all the very best in everything you do. I am sure you will always be grateful for the efforts of your mom and my good friend , dad and the support of your lil brother :)

With many blessed souls guiding you, may you reach the zenith in dance and arts.

With love and hugs

Anu Aunty

 Anindita Anu Nanda, Soortaal School of Indian Dance and Music

www.soortaal.org

Dear Mahika,

             I remember vividly you walking into my dance class in my First Condo's Club House in 2002! I was about 2 Years into teaching and was thrilled to see a little girl with so much natural skill and drive to practice. You always came well prepared for class and that made my job easier! For 4 Years after that I enjoyed watching you grow in dance Class, at your fusion & Classical Performances all around the tri-state area, and most of all into a beautiful, graceful and polished young girl! I looked forward to our Dance Lessons where in you showed exceptional reverence to the art form and to your teacher. I also appreciated the effort, support and dedication shown by your Mom, Dad and "Little Arnav" in your Journey.
                Today- fast forwarding to a Decade since I met you, I am not surprised at how beautifully you have evolved into a Dancer with Flair and immense Grace. I am Proud to call myself your first Bharatnatyam dance teacher and am grateful to be a friend to your amazing family. God Bless you in all your endeavors in life, and May you be blessed with everything this world has to offer that is good for You! Congratulations on your Arangetram- I am so sorry that Family commitments have kept me from being able to see it in person- But my Thoughts, Prayers and Blessings are with you- This Day and Forever!

Love,“Kavita Teacher “
Kavita Kuppuswamy – Kavitanjali School of Dance,Plano ,Texas

Dear Mahika, I have seen you to be a very talented, hard working and dedicated student. I wish you every success, satisfaction and happiness in your endeavor in the pursuit of this divine art,”Dance”. My special blessings for you on this great day of your life. Congratulations to you Mahika, to your parents and your Dance Gurujan Smt Vani .
Dr.Francis Barboza-Director of Satyaradhna Institute of Performing Arts, Iselin, NJ

Dear Mahika,
Congratulations! It was a pleasure teaching you dance - you are such a graceful dancer. I still remember 'O Re Kanchi' for Heritage India festival at Fairfield when you were little. And of course the Kathak dance at Fairfield University. I am so looking forward to your Arangentram.
Love,
Mousumi Aunty
-------------------
Mousumi Bhattacharya
Tripti School of Dance
Westport, CT

Dear Mahika
Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another, so dance like no one is watching you. We all are very proud of you for getting this far, but this is not the end, this is just a beginning.......

So be always inspired and be always motivated, and I am sure you are going to go a long way. Teaching you has always been a pleasure for me, you are a wonderful student and a good listener.I has always been impressed by your enthusiasm, your dedication and your hard work. Continue to be respectful towards your dance and towards your parents who have worked really hard to bring you this far. My heartiest congratulations to you,” Just dazzle  on the stage.”

Good luck to you sweetheart.
Khushi Aunty

Khushi Kumar – Dance Instructor Choreographer  Fairfield ,CT

 

 

Thank you dear Mahika, my blessings are with you on this special day. I am sure you will be awesome and do a fantastic job and graduate in flying colours. Please don't stress yourself, be calm and everything will go  very well. Please make sure you get plenty of rest and eat well - you need the energy. Thank you for making me a part of your special day. I will see you Saturday morning atyour home to get you ready.

Once again many blessings

Renu Aunty
Renu Kurien -Make up Artist

Program Sat Aug 11th 2012 , 3pm

Thank you so much for taking the time to come to my Arangetram ,and joining me and my family in celebrating this memorable day in my life.My feeling of accomplishment would be incomplete if I was not able to share it with my family,friends and the people who have touched my life in so many special ways. The gift of your presence is truly appreciated and will be always cherished by me .

http://mahikasdance.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

Program Guide for Saturday - Seating is 2.30pm onwards

http://mahikasdance.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html

Please do sign the guest book (comments section) when u get a chance

Sincerely

Mahika

Vani Natyalayam

Presents

Bharatanatyam Arangetram

(Indian classical dance debut)

of

Mahika Jhangiani

Disciple of Guru Smt. Vani Nidadavolu

Saturday ,August 11th 2012 ,3:00 pm at Norwalk High School

Program

Welcome Address-3 p.m

Prayer Song

A traditional prayer is offered to Lord Ganesha seeking his blessings for the success of the program.

1. Pushpanjali

Pushpanjali means offering of flowers. Here the dancer pays respect to God, Guru, and the audience by entering the stage holding flowers in her hands.

2. Ganesha Kauthuvam

The Kauthvam is a fast paced invocatory dance in which the dancer offers salutations to Lord Ganesha and seeks his blessings for a successful performance.

3.Jathiswaram

The Jathiswaram is a pure dance composition where the dancer executes several intricate sequences to a basic musical composition.

4.Shabdam

A Shabdam is an “abhinaya nritya” or interpretation of a song through gestures and expressions. This piece “Swagatam Krishna” describes the mischief of young Lord Krishna.

Slide Show

5. Shiva Stuthi

Lord Nataraja is considered to be the God of dance in Hindu mythology. In this dance piece, Shiva is described as the omnipresent cosmic dancer, Isha, Sabesha (Nataraja) and Sarvesha (the lord of all).

6.Varnam

The Varnam is center piece of the Bharatantyam recital, in which you will see Nritta (pure dance) and Nritya (interpretative movements)It is the touchstone of an artist’s caliber for demonstrating her mastery over intricate footwork and interpretative dance.

Intermission-4.30pm

(Snack/Drinks)

7. Narayana Theertha Tharangam

This dance piece a“Tharangam” captures the devotion that the dancer has for Lord Krishna .It ends with the artist dancing on a brass plate and executing rhythmical footwork .

8. Laali Padare

This item is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara of Dwaraka . At bedtime the dames move the cradle wing of Lord Venkateswara accompanied by Alamelumanga and Padmavathi.

Award Ceremony

Recognition of the Guru

Vote of Thanks

9. Tillana

The Tillana provides a fitting conclusion to a dance recital creating a joyful and exhilarating mood, with its lively beats and alluring poses.

Arangetram concludes with the Mangalam
(Mangalam is a salutation to God, the Guru, and the audience)

Meet and greet the artist on stage

Dinner  -5.45p.m

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Bharatanatyam Arangetram

Bharatanatyam

Bharatnatyam literally means the “Dance of India”. The broadly accepted theory on the evolution of Bharatanatyam is that the dance form got its name from  Sage Bharata Muni  who wrote the  Natya Shastra formulating the principles of dance, which is considered the” Bible of Indian classical dance”. Another interpretation is that the word, “Bharata”, represents the three essential aspects of the art, “Bha” for Bhava (emotions),”Ra” for Raga (melody/music), and “Ta” for Taala (rhythm). Bharatanatyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect), and Nritya (combination of Nritta and Natya). It is the dance of the mind and soul and is known for its grace, purity tenderness and sculpturesque poses.. It lifts the dancer and audience to a higher level of spiritual consciousness

Arangetram

Arangetram (ascending the stage), marks the first qualified dance of an aspiring artist. It is the culmination of her comprehensive education in dance and the beginning of a dance career. The artist performs various dance excerpts and exhibits the knowledge she has acquired over several years of dedicated and strenuous training. In this debut, the artist seeks the blessings of Lord Nataraja, the Guru and the audience. 

Guru and Nattuvangam

Coming from Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India, Guru Smt. Vani  Nidadavolu learned Kuchipudi as well as Bharatanatyam at a young age. She hails from a family of musicians and connoisseurs of fine arts. She is a renowned artist in Tri-State area and has done many solo as well as group performances in India as well as in the US. She has been training and sculpting local Indian girls as classical dancers since 1993. She runs her dance school under the name of Vani Natyalayam in Trumbull as well as in Monroe and at the Stratford Hindu temple, CT. Her students have performed in numerous occasions and have volunteered in many fund raising events. She is a master choreographer and choreographs all her dance pieces in Kalakshetra style, adding her personal touch of grace and intricacy to the dances without compromising the traditional style. She not only teaches classical, but also folk and fusion. In addition to dance, Vani holds Master’s Degree in Commerce and Diploma in Interior decorating. She credits her success in dance to her mother and father.

http://www.vaninatyalayam.com/

Sishya

Mahika has had a passion for Dance from the very beginning and has been learning Bharatanatyam for 9 plus years now. She started dancing at age five, and learnt all the basic adavus and mudras from Guru Kavita Kuppuswamy whom she fondly referred to as “Kavita Teacher”. When Kavita moved away to Texas, Mahika continued her training under Guru Dr. Francis Barboza for a year .Mahika truly blossomed under Guru Vani Nidadavolu’s guidance who effortlessly stepped in from where Kavita and Dr Barboza left off and brought her to this culmination,her dance graduation/debut. Vani has been Mahika’s teacher and guide for the past 5 years. Besides Bharatanatyam, Mahika has excelled at Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Bollywood and Gymnastics. Mahika is a sincere, hardworking and dedicated student. This coming fall she will be a sophomore at Norwalk High School. As a freshman she took all Honors classes and played the flute in the Norwalk High School Marching Band, ran indoor and outdoor Track and was elected Vice President of her Class.

                                                             

Dances

1. Pushpanjali
Raga: Saraswathi                                               Talam: Aadi

Pushpanjali means offering of flowers. The dancer usually enters the stage holding flowers in her hands, which are offered to the deity. Here the dancer pays respect to God, Guru, and the audience. Pushpanjali is performed with very simple jathis(sequences of footwork).

2.Ganesh Kauthuvam.

Ragam:Nattai           Taalam: Aadi
Composer: Gangaimuthu Nattuvanar
Choreography: Dr. Francis Barboza
This dance is a prayer to Lord Ganesha, son of Parvati and Shiva and the remover of obstacles. Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. This is a fast-paced invocatory dance where the dancer offers her prayers to the Lord Ganesha and seeks his blessings to make the event a success. In a Kauthuvam, chollukattus (rhythmic syllables) are intertwined with the lyrics of the song. Thus it has both nritta (footwork) and abhinaya (expressions) components in its choreography


3.Jathiswaram

Ragam: Suddhadhanyasi        Talam: Tisra Dhruvam

The Jathiswaram is a pure dance composition where the dancer executes several intricate sequences to a basic musical composition. It has no line of poetry. The dance is so choreographed as to display the dancer’s brisk footwork, rhythmic coordination and grace.

4.Shabdam 

Ragam:Todi                                           Talam: Aadi

A Shabdam is an “abhinaya nritya” or interpretation of a song through gestures and expressions. This piece “Swagatam Krishna” describes the mischief of young Lord Krishna who is the beautiful and lovable charmer of the gopikas (village belles ) of Gokul. At the same time he is the savior of the pious people ,the rishis and saints and destroyer of evil forces like Kaalinga the snake or Kamsa’s elephant.






5.Shiva Stuthi                                        

Ragam: Revati                               Talam: Misrachapu

Lord Nataraja is considered to be the God of dance in Hindu mythology. In this dance piece, Shiva is described as the divine cosmic dancer, the ocean of compassion with whose blessings one can cross the “Bhava sagar”.He resides in the hearts of his devotees as Nataraja in a place called Chidambaram.Here the dancer describes how Lord Shiva holds the cosmic fire and the drums in his hands.He is the omnipresent cosmic dancer.He is Isha,Sabesha (Nataraja) and Sarvesha(the lord of all).

6.Varnam

Raga: Abhog                   Talam: Aadi

The Varnam is the main item in Bharatantyam recital, in which all aspects of dance are found. It is the touchstone of an artist’s caliber for demonstrating her mastery over  intricate footwork and interpretative dance. It is the longest and most challenging piece. Nritta (pure dance) and Nritya (interpretative movements) alternate through the piece in such a way that the continuous development of a theme is insured.

7.Narayana Theertha Tharangam             

Ragam: Hindolam                            Talam: Aadi

This piece a Tharangam composed by Sri Narayana Theertha, captures essentially the devotion that the dancer has for Lord Krishna.  In this dance piece, Lord Krishna is described as being decorated with  jewelry and holding a precious stone called Kausthubham in his heart and saving the universe by destroying the demons. Interestingly this dance piece ends with the artist dancing on a brass plate and executing rhythmical footwork .

8.Laali Padare

Ragam: Madhyamavathi                                     Talam: Aadi

This item is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara of Dwaraka Tirumala. At bedtime the dames move the cradle wing of Lord Venkateswara accompanied by Alamelumanga and Padmavathi.

9.Tillana

Raga: Abheri                                                  Tala: Aadi

The Tillana is designed to introduce variety and rhythmic excitement into the latter portion of the program. It consists of rhythmic syllables and a few lines of sahitya (text) coming towards the end. The Tillana provides a fitting conclusion to a dance recital creating a joyful and exhilarating mood. This is an item with lively beats and alluring poses.

                      Arangetram concludes with the Mangalam 
                                                  (Mangalam is a salutation to God, the Guru, and the audience)

Invite

Mahika's Arangetram Saturday,11th Aug 2012, 3pm at Norwalk High

 

 

 

 

 

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