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Varsha Seshan

Arangetram – Sakshi and Shivona

June 23, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

As I write this post, I look back at the number of times I’ve written about an Arangetram. Some are just posts sharing details of upcoming arangetrams, but others … The emotions after – in August 2013 A reflection on the idea of the Arangetram itself What I felt after an Arangetram in 2014 Our […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: Academy of Indian Dances, Arangetram, Guru Mythili Raghavan

Urja – A Classical Dance Festival

February 11, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Maharashtra Cultural Centre has invited the Academy of Indian Dances to perform for Urja, a classical dance festival. For this performance, we’ve taken an old theme, one that we presented in 2012, Naaritva: Exploring Womanhood. The performance explores the journey of a woman through traditional pieces, both classical and folk. We begin with girlhood, associated with fun […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: academy, Arangetram, art, Bharatanatyam, culture, performance, programme

Arangetrams and Anniversaries

October 29, 2014 by Varsha Seshan 1 Comment

My dance teacher does not remember the exact date of her Arangetram, but she does remember that it was in 1964. Just for today, I’m going to pretend to myself that her Arangetram was the 29th of October, 1964. Because today, I think of all the time that has passed since our Arangetram: my sister’s and […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: Academy of Indian Dances, Arangetram, performance, programme

Arangetram – Chaitrali, Diaspina and Purvi

August 11, 2014 by Varsha Seshan 4 Comments

“How was the Arangetram? How did Chaitrali do?” my mother asked. I had one word in response, “Moving.” And it was moving for more reasons than one. When Chaitrali, despite her hearing and speaking disability made her speech, many of us were in tears. “I thank the didis,” she said, painstakingly. “Varsha didi … Nisha didi […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: academy, Arangetram, art, Bharatanatyam, culture, performance, programme

Arangetram

August 10, 2014 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

The Academy of Indian Dances welcomes you to the Arangetram of Chaitrali, Diya and Purvi. Chaitrali is a special girl with a hearing disability despite which she has persevered and come to this stage. Her Arangetram is a proud moment for her parents, her guru, and somehow by extension, all of us. Diya and Purvi […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: academy, Arangetram, art, Bharatanatyam, culture, performance, programme

Arangetram

April 7, 2014 by Varsha Seshan 2 Comments

Often, invitation cards say that ‘Arangetram’ means ‘ascending the stage’. Theoretically, all of us know that it is our first stage programme. Then why is it supposed to be so perfect? It is a beginning, an entrance. We often widen our eyes and raise our eyebrows at students who perform their Arangetram ‘too early’. At […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: Arangetram, art, Bharatanatyam, culture, India, performance, programme

The Emotions after . . .

August 31, 2013 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I’ve lost track of the number of Arangetrams I’ve watched from the wings. But the mood of one that is well done is always the same. When I can feel what the dancer feels, I think it’s perhaps even more intense than a wedding day, except that I have no notion of how that feels. […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: academy, Arangetram

Arangetram on Friday

August 28, 2013 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Tejashree Natu, disciple of Guru Smt Mythili Raghavan, will be performing her Arangetram on Friday, the 30th of August, at Tilak Smarak Mandir at 5:45 p.m.  Credits Nattuvangam: Guru Smt Mythili Raghavan Vocal: Sri Sivaprasad Mridangam: Sri Sankar Narayanan Violin: Sri Anantharaman Make-up: Sri Mohan and Smt Lakshmi Compères: Nisha and Varsha Programme Alarippu (Panchajati) […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: Arangetram

Arangetram – Tejashree

August 27, 2013 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Academy of Indian Dances cordially invites you to Tejashree’s Arangetram.

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: Arangetram

Arangetram!

June 28, 2013 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Anushka Iyer and Riya Dash will be performing their Arangetram today! The Arangetram is the maiden performance of a dancer, during which she attempts to convey her understanding of her art form to a discerning audience in the presence of her guru. Venue: Tilak Smarak Mandir Date and time: 28th June 2013; 17:45 Credits Nattuvangam: […]

Filed Under: Dance Tagged With: academy, Arangetram, Bharatanatyam, culture, performance, programme