After thorough training and practice under the watchful guidance of a teacher of Natya-shastra comes the first public performance of the dance student. This first debut public performance by reaching or climbing (etram) to the stage (aranga) is what the term ‘Arangetram’ means in the divine dance traditions of Bharatanatyam.
Recently a trained Bharatanatyam dancer Sucheta Raj had her “Bharatanatyam Arangetram” on the 17th of September 2011, at the Playhouse theatre, Glen Eden, Auckland. She is the disciple of Smt. Rema Sundar of The Academy of Bharatanatyam.
After 13 years of diligent training and practice in the Pandanallur style, Sucheta ascended the stage and successfully presented the full repertoire to an appreciative audience. Beginning with the Pushpanjali and Allarippu, she presented 11 different dances. Some of the highlights of the evening were the Padam, Krishna Nee begane baro, the Varnam, E maguava bhodincera, the Dashavataram and Thillana.
The dances were ethereal in a mystical temple-like setting with perfect footwork and excellent expressions. The orchestra comprised of Smt. Rema Sunder on Nattuvangam, Smt. Thulasi Prabhakaran rendering the songs, Dr. Suresh Ramachandran on the mridangam, Smt. Bavani Suresh on the veena and Dr. Ashok Malur on the violin. The three-hour long reprtoire ended with Mangalam with a shower of flowers raining from above on the dancer.
At the culmination of the programme, she received overwhelming accolades from the audience. Very good pose and execution, attractive, beautiful, sublime were what one could hear from the people who came up on the stage to congratulate her.
By invitation, Sucheta gave her first public performance, post arangetram, for the Rugby World Cup cultural show at the Cloud. This event was organised by the Auckland Council.
Sucheta is currently studying towards a Bachelor degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Auckland.