HAPPENING - 2 ::

St. JUDE’S PRESENTS SCINTILLATING BHARATHANATYAM ARANGETRAM

BY P S SUNDAR

A scintillating Bharathanatyam Arangetram by five girls from different parts of Tamil Nadu conducted by St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, enabled people from different districts to appreciate the budding artistes along with Nilgiri residents.

“The performers, Puja, Dhanya Sakthie, Madhumitha, Miruthanya and Shuvetha, are our students staying in our hostel.  So, we are conducting their Bharathanatyam Arangetram ourselves inviting their well-wishers from their home districts”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan told me.

“We gave intensive Bharathanatyam training to these students though Guru Gayathiri Punniayamurthy, a graduate of Kalakhshetra Chennai.  This is our first attempt to stage Arangetram now and already, there are requests for more”, Principal D Saro said.

As for me, this event had a special significance as it marked my Golden Jubilee as Chief Guest for Arangetram – I had been privileged to be Chief Guest for Arangetram of 46 students till now and with these 5, the total went to 51.

In my Chief Guest address, I referred to 10 aspects that stood apart at this Arangetram.  I highlighted the ragam, thalam and bhavam in repect of each of the five students.    The compliments I showered on the musicians, Guru, performing students, parents and the school management went down very well with the audience.   My thrust, as always, was to motivate the youngsters study the nuances of Bharathanatyam and excel, not stop with Arangetram.

The dancers kept the audience applauding all through their 12 renditions from Pushpanjali to ‘Vanthe Mathram’ in Mangalam. After Vinayaka Sthuthi, Allarippu, Jathisvaram, Sabdam, they drew prolonged applause for their 45-minute Varnam which stressed “Nee Allathu Thunai Illai puvithanile” (without you, there is no support for me in this earth).

After Keerthanam, the dancers mesmerised the audience in Siva Thandavam to the dedication, “Sambo, Siva Sambo”.   There was a captivating folk number, ‘Kuravanji’ before Thillana.

Gayathari Punniamurthi (Nattuvangam). Selam Sarada Sundar (Voval), Samaya Kumar (Mirudangam) and Vijayalakshmi Ravi Varma (violin) excelled in musical rendition.

I presented certificates to the students in the presence of their parents and Guru.

The school used its students as ‘Miss of Ceremonies’ (!!).  

Headmistress Shobana proposed a vote of thanks. 

And, this is the group::