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A report- Arangetram - Kumari Medha Swaminathan , Student of Smt . Lakshmi Swaminathan (Director of Natananjali School of Dance, Bethesda, Md) Bharatanatyam Arangetram Saturday, July 18, 2015 Cultural Arts Center , Montgomery College , Silver Spring, MD -Vinatha Kumar Medha, entered the stage, wearing a beautiful shade of Pink costume with an orange border, and made a great first impression by performing a crisp jati sequence, as she danced her way to the Altar of Lord Nataraja and offered flowers to the Lord in a devotional mood . Medha then proceeded to seek the blessings of her Mother Guru Smt . Lakshmi and other members of the Orchestra. *Sri Ganapati Ninne Kaii Tozhunnen* Invocatory piece- ` Sri Ganapati Ninne Kaii Tozhunnen ` Ragamalika, Composed by Sri S.A Raman, Choreographed by Lakshmi , Medha performed an elaborate Teermanam with well executed hand gestures and intricate footwork . Medha's brisk Nritta sequence was so captivating that it set the tempo for the rest of the dance. Lakshmi's choreography of this item was marvelous specially the Jati patterns . Medha traversed the entire stage both diagonally and linearly while executing the jatis with a great deal of flair and finesse. Medha also portrayed the different poses of the Elephant headed God with Zest and Zeal so much so that one felt as if Nartana Ganapathi himself was dancing before one's eyes . At one point, Medha's description of Lord Ganapahi as Amba suta ( Parvati's son) with the soft sounds of Lingaraju's drumbeats in the backgound , was so moving, that it touched the heartstrings * Dattatreya Trimurthy Roopa* Devotional item on Lord Dattatreya , Composed by Ganapathy Satchitananda Swamiji . Keertanam - ` Dattatreya Trimurthy Roopa` Ranjani Ragam, Specially choreographed by Sri. N. Srikanth Natarajan , Medha created a very authentic imagery of the three headed God with Rosary Beads, Kamandalu, Trishoola, Damaru, Conch and Discus. Medha's abhinayam was full of Sattwika bhava and the mood she created was Sublime. Medha's rendition of this devotional item was so realistic that a Tantrik advaitin like me resonated very well with the description of Adi Guru Dattatreya as being the Kalpavriksha (wish fulfilling tree ) and Kamadhenu ( wish fulfilling cow) . Srikanth's choreography of Dattatreya's imagery was indeed masterly. *Angayar Kanni Anandam Kondale* While Smt. Vara Anantaraman, the charming MC for the evening, introduced the Orchestral Team and the Guru to the Audience, Medha changed into another costume for the next item . Medha looked pure and pristine like the Maiden Goddess Angayarkanni , clad in a jasmine white costume with a multi colored Fan adorning her waist . Pada varnam- ` Angayar Kanni Anandam Kondale`, Composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman , Creatively choreographed by N. Srikanth Natarajan, Medha handled this challenging item with expertise like a seasoned dancer . Medha demonstratedcompetence in all three areas Nritta , Natyam and Abhinayam . In the very first Jati sequence, Medha was captivating with her clean, perfect diamond shaped aramandis , graceful hand movements and strong footwork and jatis with complete finishes . While Medha was brilliant in executing the complex jathis , Guru Lakshmi's powerpacked Solukattus added that extra dimension to Medha's technical virtuosity. . Medha's sense of Rhythm is impeccable and so is her understanding and grasping of all the finer nuances of Natya shastra . In this Varnam dominated by Navarasa , Medha shone brilliantly in the ` Digvijayam` scene as the Warrior Goddess when she stomped around the stage in powerful strides in a Chariot . Indeed , a Jhansi ki Rani moment -` Veera ` at its best . Medha was alluring when she displayed the emotion of a lovelorn Nayika walking back and forth on stage with a coy and bashful look Her graceful gait reminded one of Navarasa nata bhamini. Sringara ... My favorite rasa was of course the ` Roudra ` rasa where Medha was simply outstanding as ` Kali Mahakali .... ` - Her eye expressions with the Vengeful look were phenomenal and her postures as the Weapon Wielding Devi was ` Shakthi` personified . Credit goes to Srikanth for creating so many Goddesses in One Varnam from The compassionate Meenakshi to Sri Chakra Nilaya Vaasini Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari not to speak of the Devi Mahsasura Mardini and Kali Kapalini of ` Devi Bhagvatam.` In the final scene , when Medha stood as Devi Meenakshi with her left hand resting on her side , her torso elevated and her waist wearing curved look and the right hand holding the Parrot and her Face full of Compassion It was indeed a Moment of Bliss . Special mention must be made of the talented Orchestral team who contributed in a large measure to the incredible success of this Navarasa Pada Varnam. * Shambhu Natanam |