Disciple of Guru Geeta Chandran presented a soulful Bharatanatyam Act in her Arangetram
New Delhi, 22nd August 2022; Arangetram is an important occasion in the career of a Bharatanatyam dancer and a tribute to their Guru. Arangetram is an important sacrament which marks the first milestone in the disciple’s journey in the ocean of Bharatanatyam. Such was an occasion for young Bharatanatyam dancer Ananya Jain on Sunday evening, who dazzled the stage with her first solo performance, the ‘Arangetram’. Organized by Natya Vriksha at Chinmaya Mission, Ananya captivated the audience with her enthralling presentation and performance.
Although this was Ananya’s first solo performance in the dance world, but she is a well-known name in the fashion world among Bollywood celebrities. She has been designing for many leading actresses through her label The Boozy Button, which was started during the pandemic.
She started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 9, and she joined the Natya Vriksha under the guidance of Guru Geeta Chandran, under whom she has learnt for the past 15 years. She was accompanied by Geeta Chandran (Nattuvangam), K Ventakeshwaran (Vocals), Manohar Balachandirane (Mridangam), Varun Rajasekharan (Ghatam) and G Raghavendra Prasad (Violin) on stage during her arangetram. On this occasion, Dr. Maya Shankar (wife of BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad), familiar Doordarshan personality Sarla Maheshwari and dancer Priya Venkataraman were the esteemed guests of honor.
Ananya commenced her performance with a Pushpanjali in Ragam Gambhira Nattai in which the dancer paid obeisance to the “arangam” or stage and to the eight directions. It was followed by Alarippu, which represents the body slowly showcasing Bharatanatyam postures, like a lotus slowly opening in the sunlight. Her next presentation was the traditional Ragamalika Jatiswaram, which presents a more advanced enunciation of Bharatanatyam adavus. It was followed by Varnam in Ragam Poorvi Kalyani, a Meera Bhajan in Ragam Maand. Ananya also presented a Padam Indendu Vachitivira in Telugu in which the khandita nayika is angry that her hero has spent the night with that “other woman”. She refuses to entertain him and rejects his explanations. She says that she is not fooled by his syrupy words, and asks him to leave. Ananya’s arangetram concluded with a fabulous Tillana in Ragam Brindavani.
Guru Geeta Chandran is all praise for Ananya. She said, “Ananya has given a wonderful presentation. From the very beginning she has been serious about learning & pursuing new ideas and we saw this seriousness in her dance today. Ananya’s skill and concentration, the balance of her dance and body language with the ragas was a perfect match. Such presentations are nothing short of well performed Guru Dakshina, I am proud of her and hope she will be able to give a new dimension to this legacy.”
After the performance, Ananya said that dance has always been her first preference. “My world changed after meeting Geeta Akka. We have been so immersed in Natya Vrikshya with her during the last 15 years, they have completely changed my outlook on life. Because of her values, I have always been inspired to know the purpose behind doing anything. This foundation inspires me. I was always on the lookout for ideas and one day the concept and idea of Boozy Button was born. I think the perseverance and patience I’ve learned at Natya Vriksha is playing a major role in helping me keep myself and Boozy Button moving, dynamic and ever-growing every day.”
