Smt. Aarti Halleppanavar and Shri. Chandra Bose Renganathan
cordially invite you and your family to the
Bharathanatyam Arangetram
of their daughter
Kum. Amala Chandra
(Disciple of Smt. Sanjeeta Mukherjee)
on Saturday July 9, 2022
at Y R Mahal, Nagercoil
(Water Tank Rd, near water tank, Nagercoil)
5:00 pm : Reception
5:45 pm : Seating
6:10 pm : Program begins promptly
7:30 - 9:00 pm : Dinner
Ragam: Gambeera Nattai
Talam: Adi
The Pushpanjali is the first dance in a Bharatanatyam performance. Pushpa (flower) Anjali (joined palms) is the act of offering flowers to invoke blessings from Hindu deities, the Guru and the audience before starting the performance.
Amala thinks this is the perfect way to start a performance.
Ragam: Hamsadhwani
Talam: Adi
This Ganesha Stuti dance is in reverence of Lord Ganesha, the lord with the elephant head, the remover of all obstacles, who the dancer asks for a sound performance.
Amala likes the upbeat feeling of this dance, the portrayal of Lord Ganesha with hand gestures and hopes you will enjoy her teacher's choreography as much as she does.
A kauthuvam is a hymn, a song of devotion in praise of a deity, in this case being Kali herself.
Kali is represented as a scary, bloodthirsty embodiment of destruction, and the ultimate protector against evil. She is the angry avatar of Mother Shakti channeling her anger in destruction of all evil forces.
Amala likes the bold and strong representation of Goddess Kali in this powerful dance.
Composer: Maharaja Swathi Thirunaal
Ragam - Hamsanandi
Talam - Adi
Shankara Srigiri is a beautiful composition in dedication to Lord Shiva. The poet praises Lord Shiva's calming appearance and His dancing which is so perfect and in tune with natural rhythm, that the entire universe is mesmerized.
Amala loves the energetic and advanced adavus (moves) in this dance item. She thinks this praise of Lord Shiva will definitely energize the audience as well.
Composer: Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi (1700 - 1765)
Ragam: Chenjuruti
Talam: Adi (Tishram)
Madu Meikam Kanne is a sweet traditional Tamil song, taking the viewers through a dialogue between Mother Yashoda, and mischievious little Krishna. This child is daring to go out to play, but Yashoda has decided to make him stay at home for once, the whole day. So, she keeps giving reasons as to why he should stay, and little Krishna keeps giving explanations back as to why he should leave the house immediately. It is the mothers objections, vs the child's explanations.
Guru Sanjeeta Mukherjee is the founder and artistic director of Sanchari School of Dance. She is trained in the kalakshetra style of Bharatnatyam and has trained under Sri Narasimhachari and Srimati Vasanthalakshmi. Guru Sanjeeta breaks free from the old rhetoric of Bharatnatyam, she innovates and is always on a quest to create traditional pieces with a modern touch. She approaches her students with the psychological framework of a child, and can adapt her teaching style to teach a student of any age.
She started learning Bharatnatyam at 4 years of age in Kolkata, India, and continued to pursue her passion even while getting a Master’s degree in Economics from Ethiraj College in Chennai. She has performed at various ballets and competitions, both in India and the United States. Her passion for the dance form is what led her into teaching, and that is how Sanchari School of Dance was born. She does not look at Bharatnatyam as a dance form, to her, it’s a lifestyle, her spiritual guide and the emotional center of gravity that brings balance and stability to her life.
Guru Sanjeeta instills in her students a love for the art, discipline for consistent practice, taking responsibility for the lack of practice and making them want more of all this week after week. She makes her students train hard, disciplines them hard and loves them harder. Every week, we send our girls to train from this special kind of drill sergeant, and our girls cannot wait to go back for more!
As a choreographer , Guru Sanjeeta’s quest is to constantly find new ways to create fresh and relevant works that connect with contemporary audiences. She believes in staying true to the depth and beauty of the Indian classical dance style while pushing its boundaries to explore new avenues of creative expression.
Sanchari School of Dance offers bharatnatyam arangetrum training and development for children and adults, helps appreciating and creating an awareness for dance and music, holds workshops for children and adults. It’s basic intention is to raise the profile of Indian Arts in the United States of America
Amala Chandra is a fifteen-year-old rising sophomore who is finishing up her freshman year as an advanced student at Westwood High School, Austin Texas. She has been learning dance from her Guru Sanjeeta Mukherjee for 5 years now; starting in 2017 to present day. Amala's passion for her cultural heritage can be easily highlighted and emphasized through her dance in Bharathanatyam. It is how she studies expressions, storytelling, physical strength, coordination, and combining all these amazing qualities together onstage.
Amala has participated in many Indian Raga competitions and won awards related to this art form. Apart from Bharathanatyam, her several interests include drawing, sketching, and martial arts. As a stubborn perfectionist, Amala applies this mindset into her practice, striving for fluency and charm.
She also has a year of experience in Soo Bahk Do, Korean Martial Arts. Before her family moved to Texas, she was also a student of Mallakhamb, a traditional sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga and wrestling grips on a wooden pole, or rope. She is now a student in Kalari Adimurai, a form of Martial Arts from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
All these art forms have helped to strengthen her abilities to make her capable of giving a 3-hour solo stage performance, which is no less a feat than that of an athlete's!