With hand-painted scrolls featuring dancing figurines forming the backdrop, and the mridangam and violin accompanying the measured taps of cymbals, Bharatanatyam exponent Geeta Chandran’s disciple Tara Padmanabhan began her Arangetram with a Pushpanjali at the Delhi Tamil Sangam in R K Puram recently.
Geeta Chandran as the nattuvnar
Tara Padmanabhan paid homage to the late MS Subbulakshmi by performing the bhajan Mirabai Padam Chakar Rakho Ji
Years of lessons came together as she presented the traditional margam before an audience that included Prof Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal and Professor, Department of Political Science, Miranda House, also the chief guest for the evening, and Dr Nila Mohanan, Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, who was the Guest of Honour.
Bijayalaxmi Nanda and Nila Mohanan
The first half of the evening moved through Pushpanjali, Alarippu, Jatiswaram and a Shringara Varnam, followed by a Padam on Thaye Yashoda and concluding with a Tillana in the second half.‘Learning any of the classical forms enriches your soul’For Geeta, watching Tara take the stage was also a moment to reflect on what 11 years of learning can mean beyond the dance itself. She said, “Learning any of the classical forms is actually enriching your soul. It changes your lifestyle, approach, and thinking. This learning process inspires everything.” She added, “I am glad that Tara has stood the course and now sees value in it. All we can do is give her, and other students, that fire in the belly. The rest is their journey. In today’s time, when there are several distractions, the journey is not easy.”
Rajiv Chandran
‘It is the start of a deeper relationship with dance’Arangetram marks the beginning of any dancer’s journey. “For me, it marks the beginning of a deeper relationship with dance – of discovering and finding new meaning in an art form that has grown with me,” said Tara, a student of BSc Mathematic at Miranda House. Her principal, Prof Bijayalaxmi, said, “Her quantitative aptitude shows in her understanding of the taal system, and even the rasa. I am privileged to be here for her.“
Ponna Padmanabhan; Bijayalaxmi Nanda with Krishna Menon
