JOIN USAn evening of graceful dance awaited all those who attended ‘Arpan 2014’ held at the ADA Rangamandira recently. Around 150 artistes of all ages took part in the event and the efforts they had put in could clearly be seen. The evening comprised of different styles of dance including classical and contemporary. These different sequences were showcased by artistes aged from six to 35 years.
The performance saw pieces like shlokas and tihai by the children’s batch; contemporary versions like tarana in raag darbari and sargam; pure dance sequences like prabandh and nritta, which was performed by the junior and intermediate batch; a sequence in praise of Lord Ganesha called Ganapathi Murath and a sequence dedicated to Lord Krishna called Srinanda Nanda.
The participants and organisers were excited about the way the event turned out. “This is a yearly affair and thanks to the event, the students get a feel of a professional performance along with the lighting, costumes and all the other efforts that go behind,” shared Ramya Nagaraj, director of Natya & STEM Dance Kampni.
“It was challenging to perform before Maya Raoji,” said Reshmi Nair, who was part of Srinanda Nanda.
She added, “We practised for three months and it was a great blessing to be a part of this production.” During each sequence, there was pin-drop silence in the hall. Consisting of parents, friends and extended family of the artistes, the crowd was mesmerised by the performances. Sharath Kumaresh, whose niece was a part of one of the contemporary sequences, said that he was amazed at how perfectly the show was managed.
“One would never think that a show as well-managed and perfectly choreographed like this would be put up by students who just began their stint with dance,” he said. Shakunthala Dharmashri, a dance enthusiast, said that the contemporary pieces were also impressive.
“For the elderly like me, it’s not that easy to appreciate contemporary pieces. But I found those pieces rather innovative and detailed. There is no doubt that a lot of work has gone behind the whole event,” she said.