Recently, I watched an Odissi performance by Ms. Arushi Mudgal. Her performance was based around a theme of Aikya, unity. I really enjoyed watching her dance, along with her live orchestra. There was someone playing mridangam, the dancer’s sister who sang and did nattuvangam, another singer, and a flutist.
The dancer performed an invocatory item, then a Parvati Lasyam, which was about Shiva noticing Parvati dancing and how she lights up the world.
Next, she performed a story about Radha and Krishna. The dance illustrated the story of Radha dressing up as Krishna and asking Krisha to dress up as her too. She becomes so immersed in her role as Krishna that she goes to the village and call out for Radha, her friend. This item had more abhinaya and I really liked the details.
Her next item was a pallavi, a full nritta item (in Odissi), about the joy of dance. I really enjoyed watching her dance! I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of aramandi used in her dance. She used a step like Lolita (from Mohiniattam) in this item.
Then, she performed a full abhinaya item about a hero leaving a naiyaka. She interpreted it as a soul leaving a body when the body is on the cusp of death. I really enjoyed this interpretation!
Her second to last item was once again about Radha and Krishna, but it was a more fun item where Radha is telling her friends about an encounter she had with Krishna. I really enjoyed the playfulness of this item.
This performance happened at the Match theater!
Category: dancing
Mid Year Dance Festival
Recently, I went to see Chennai Music Academy’s Mid Year Dance Festival. I went on the second day and watched both Lekha Prasad (disciple of Guru Priya Murle) and P.V. Adithya (disciple of Guru Sudharani Raghunathy) perform a 4 item margam consisting of a varnam and a thillana, the other two items being unique to the performer. I enjoyed both dances immensely, especially with the more intimate area, with a smaller stage and a live orchestra.
The first dancer, Lekha Prasad, started off with an invocatory item composed by Chirumanavoor Muniswamy Mudaliar. Next, she performed a 45-50 minute varnam called Sami nee Rammana Ve composed by Tanjore Ponnayya. Her aadavus were clean and I especially liked how she used her eyes in the abhinaya sections. Her poses were also well done and were once again, clean. Her angashruti was really good. After this, she performed an Ashtapadi- Yahi Madhava- composed by Jayadeva, then ended with a thillana composed by the Tanjore Quartet. I enjoyed her performance a lot.
Next was a performance by P.V. Adithya. He started off with a Kriti composed by Mysore Vasudevachar, in which his angashruti shone. Next was a 50 minute Varnam- Sami ninne kori- composed by the Tanjore Quartet. I really enjoyed his aadavus, as they were crisp and clear. Each aadvu was completed fully and even the faster speeds were clear. I also enjoyed his abhinaya.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the performances from the Chennai Music Academy. They were both well put together and presented and I am incredibly glad I was able to see these performances!
The Lightning Thief Musical
Recently, I went to go see a musical based on the first Percy Jackson book- The Lightning Thief. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology by extension, so I was really excited to see how this musical turned out. I’d already listened to the songs, so I knew most of it, and as I’d read the book before, I knew how the plot was going to turn out. Still, I was incredibly excited to see how it would be interpreted.
I really enjoyed the set and how, while the overall pieces and elements were the same, a simple change of banners or how the set pieces were placed could change the vibe of a scene and show a different setting (and obviously the lights helped with this too). Even though there was a smaller cast, I loved getting to see all the characters and their costumes for each character. Some of my favorite characters were Grover/Mr. D as well as Annabeth. They portrayed their characters really well and I enjoyed it all!
While it was a smaller scale production, I still really enjoyed how the scenes in the book leapt off the pages to be seen in real life. I especially enjoyed how some lines from the book were taken word for word, and it was so much fun to recognize these lines!
Chicago: The Musical
Recently, I went to see a new musical, Chicago. This added to the collection of musicals I’ve seen and (spoiler alert) that list is only going to grow this year.
I really enjoyed this musical, especially the music. The music set the scene incredibly well and I also loved how the conductor was involved in the story line at times. The choreography was also done incredibly well and you could tell the actors were thoroughly involved in the musical. I found the set interesting, as it was only a blank stage, with the occasional prop of a chair or two.
The musical was based on a play made in 1926, about the corruption in Chicago. The original play was based off of real criminals and real stories. The musical features Velma and Roxie, two women who have both ended up in jail. Velma’s famous and she’s been in the papers a lot, so when Roxie takes her spot, she’s upset. Again, I loved the songs and the choreography and the way the musical flowed. It was amazing to watch!
Have you been to see any musicals? Which ones are your favorites?
2023 goals
2023 is hopefully going to be a big year! I’m graduating middle school and moving on to high school, so that’s a pretty big milestone for me. I’m also hoping to work on things I’m passionate about and get much better at them.
Dance:
Dance, especially Bharatanatyam, is already a huge part of my life and I want that to continue through the new year. I hope to practice a lot more, learn many new items, and get more opportunities to perform.
This year, I’ll also get to perform in my school’s Spring Show, where I’ll be able to perform 4 dances in front of parents and friends. This is something I’m really excited for and I can’t wait to grow my contemporary dancing skills as well!
Writing:
I really want to work on my writing, as well as my use of vocabulary. Writing is already a huge passion of mine and I definitely want to grow that this year. I’m also auditioning for a creative-arts school in the category of writing!
Art:
Along with my writing, I would like to get better at my art skills! Currently, I might not be the best artist, however, I definitely want to practice a lot this year and hopefully learn more about art and develop an art style (or any semblance of one)
Books:
This year, I’m going to be trying to “read my bookshelf” more and get through many of the books on my bookshelf instead of always getting new ones. I hope to maybe finish more series and discover a lot of good books!
School:
This year, I’ll be going into high school and I hope to find my footing quickly. I’ll definitely keep working hard in my new school (and for the rest of middle school).
What goals do you have for 2023?
2022 lookback
January:
I started the year in India. We didn’t really do much that first month, but it was a good and clean beginning to the new year.
February:
We took a quick staycation in Downtown, which was definitely a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity to relax while staying in the city.
March:
We went to Miami this year which was a lot of fun! We got to see a lighthouse and also got to visit Calle Ocho, which I had been learning about in school. I also visited the science museum which was a fun experience.
We also got to see Hamilton, which was awesome. I loved watching the songs come to life and it was overall a great experience.
April:
I did two dance performances this month- an annual recital for Bharatanatyam and my first ever Mohiniyattam performance!
I also got to watch an arangetram which was a new experience for me.
May:
We went to New Mexico which was really cool! I really enjoyed viewing the Carlsbad Caverns and the Petroleum Museum, as well as Monahans Sandhills State Park.
Our school also put on Matilda the Musical and I really enjoyed watching it, especially as a lot of my friends starred in it.
June:
Right before 7th grade ended, we had our schoolwide International Peace Festival, in which my friend and I put together a project on gender equality. During summer, I went to India which was a lot of fun, as usual.
July:
I went to Delhi in the beginning of July, which was a place I’d never been before. I really enjoyed visiting The Taj Mahal, Qutab Minar, and Isa Khan’s tomb, as well as other places.
I came home from India early (☹️) to go to Leadership Camp, hosted by my Leadership teacher for 8th grade. I really enjoyed camp and definitely made a lot of memories there.
August:
I started 8th grade around the middle of August which was an incredible new experience.
I also competed in a duet and a group Bharatanatyam competition and won first place for the duet!
September:
I celebrated my birthday this month and turned 13! Other than that we didn’t do much, but I really enjoyed celebrating my birthday and cherished everyone in my life that day (and month).
October:
I started the month with a roller skating party for everyone in Leadership. At first, I was a bit shaky, but I eventually got the hang of it and had a lot of fun!
I also got to see another musical- Hadestown, which was inspired by Greek mythology, which I love.
After that, we had Homecoming, which is definitely one of my highlights this year, as I got to have a lot of fun that night.
November:
I started November off with my UIL theater class performing twice, once for parents and once at a competition. I had a lot of fun both times and I can’t wait to do it again in the spring!
After that, we went to my last musical of the year- SIX the Musical. I also saw two of my friends there which was such a fun experience!
Then, during Fall Break, we went to Boston and I saw a lot of historical monuments, which went perfectly with what we were learning in US History.
Lastly, I ended the month with Fall Show, a performance organized by the dance teachers so we can show off what we have learnt in the first semester.
December:
Our school’s first semester has ended, meaning we’re halfway through the school year. This was also the first year I had to do midterms, because I’ve started taking high-school level courses.
As the semester ended, I went to our school’s winter concert, as I had many friends in orchestra. I really enjoyed watching them perform and they did great!
Lastly, I closed the year off by going to India for winter break.
How has your year been?
Homecoming 2022
This year at my school, we had a Homecoming game and dance! Though I didn’t go to the game, I really enjoyed the dance and being able to see my friends and spend time with them.
One of the best parts was definitely being able to wear a pavadai to this event. Me and my other Indian friend had planned this for a while, so we showed up each wearing a matching outfit, her wearing pink and me wearing blue. I loved how we looked and the way we were able to show off our culture!
Another fun part about the dance was how it was set up. We had three areas we could go to- the gym, the cafeteria, or the patio.
In the gym, there was a lively and bustling environment, with a DJ and a crowd of people dancing along to the music.
In the cafeteria (where I mainly was), some teachers had candy and water, keeping us happy and hydrated. There was also a variety of songs playing and overall, the mood was bright.
Lastly, there was the chess patio. The patio was lit up beautifully, with strings of fairy lights surrounding the whole place. It has a calming atmosphere and was probably the nicest place throughout the dance.
All in all, the Homecoming dance was really fun and I enjoyed meeting all my friends with this and getting to spend 2 hours with them without having school work or anything else to focus on.
6 Word Memoirs
Recently, in my English class, we created 6 word memoirs. They were really fun and easy to create and so, I thought it would be nice to share that over here! 6 word memoirs can either be 6 words that sum up a big part or your whole life, or they can describe one specific event. With the way that my English teacher led us through it, there are 4 main steps to writing a 6 word memoir.
Step 1. Take anywhere from 3-5 minutes and write down a big list of life events. These events don’t have to be in order or make sense to anyone but you. Make sure you keep writing and let your subconscious bring up some of the major events you have experienced.
Step 2. Pick any one of the events and write 2-3 sentences about it. You can add any details you want, but don’t let it become a full paragraph.
Step 3. Cross out any unnecessary information. This step can sometimes be hard, but try to think of the main points of your event. Also make sure to keep the mood of the event intact when you cross things out (for example, if you’re writing about a scary moment, don’t cross out all the scary parts of it).
Step 4. Using the words or phrases you have left, experiment with different wording choices and ideas. When you have one you think that fits best, congrats! You’ve written a 6 word memoir.
Here’s an example that I made in my English class:
Step 1. I had around 32 events written down in the span of 5 minutes. Some of my most important/memorable were the Austin trip, COVID/google classroom, online lunch, PUPS potluck (all grades), my mock algebra STAAR, Murder on the Sea (my group’s theater production), and getting into leadership. All of these events definitely influenced me a lot and helped me become who I am today.
Step 2. I chose to write about Murder on the Sea, a theater production my and my ensemble created last year. My 4 sentences were:
My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.
Step 3. The next step was crossing out unnecessary information. Below is what I had after step 3.My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.
At the end, the main phrases I had left were “first look”, “practiced all weekend”, “extremely nervous, but also ready”, and “decided to join UIL theater.”
Step 4. Some of my ideas included:
– practicing all weekend, UIL the goal
– first look at theater, in love
– never forgetting shining on the stage
Finally, I chose this one- “Memorizing done, am I good enough?”
I picked that specific one because it not only ties into theater, but also dance, a huge aspect of my life.
Have you ever written a 6 word memoir? If not, will you give it a try?
Hamilton: The Musical
Recently, I was able to watch Hamilton. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it a lot. I hadn’t watched Hamilton before, so it was a first time experience that I loved.
I really enjoyed the diverse cast and how we got to see so many people of different races playing the characters. Main characters, like Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Angelica Schuyler, were played by diverse actors and I enjoyed that.
The songs were also so beautiful and I loved how they all embodied the character(s) who sung them. Some examples were Burn (sung by Eliza) and Satisfied (sung by Angelica and Alexander).
Another thing which I found really interesting was how the same set was used for all the scenes. Unlike other musicals which I’ve seen before, the set was the same, though the characters did transition from place to place. I also thought the way that the set was built was unique and spectacular.
What’s your favorite musical?
A Bold Dance of the Ages
Recently, for my English class, we had to write a brochure based on an element of our culture. I picked Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance from the state of Tamil Nadu. I hope you enjoy!
Strong taps echo through the auditorium as the audience watches, mesmerized by the bold and strong dance. The dancer is performing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. Bharatanatyam is one of the most interesting dance forms because it’s bold, unique, and captivating.
The History:
Bharatanatyam has a rich history through thousands of centuries and kings. Here are some of the most important parts of its history.
CHOLA DYNASTY (9th to 13th century):
The Chola kings left a lasting legacy to Indian classical arts. In the Brihadeeswara temple, there are verses from the Natyasastra and sculptures of Shiva performing the 108 karanas. Many forms of art centered around the temples and grew well.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (14th century to 15th century)
The Vijayanagar kings provided a lot of patronage to dance. King Krishna Deva Raya (16th century) is said to have been a great supporter.
NAYAKA KINGDOM (16th to 18th century):
King Raghunatha Nayake encouraged dance and music. The king also wrote the Valmiki Charitra which included information about Sadir (the old name for Bharatanatyam) and the talam system.
MARATHA DYNASTY (18th century)
The Maratha rulers had the strongest links to the present-day Bharatanatyam. King Tulaji wrote the Sangeetha Saramitra with a list of adavus. Natwanars were also significant members of the king’s court. The famous Thanjavur brothers lived during this era.
BRITISH ERA
The British Government tabooed dance performances and dancers lost their glory.
REVIVAL (early to mid 20th century)
Art lovers worked to remove the stigma from dance. In 1932, Sadir was renamed to Bharatanatyam.
The Mythological History:
At the beginning of Treetayuga, peoples´ lives were filled with greed, anger, and jealousy. There wasn’t dharma and the asuras ruled the world. To combat this, Lord Brahma created a fifth Veda that would be enjoyable and dispel the bad. Lord Brahma taught this fifth Veda (the Natyaveda) to Bharata, who in turn taught it to his 100 sons.
Bharata asked Lord Brahma to bring down apsaras to add grace.
With this, he was satisfied and performed it at the Dhvaja Mohatsa. The asuras got angry because the play was pointing at their demise. As a result, they started attacking the performers.
Brahma asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build a Natyagriha that would restrict access to evil. Vishwakarma instantly built the perfect theater.
Then Brahma took this play to Lord Shiva. Shiva suggested that they add nritta to the play to enhance it. After watching the show, people understood how to defeat the demons and started living better lives.
The Margam:
A margam is the order in which you learn and perform Bharatanatyam items. The complexity gradually increases as does the time and the abhinaya sections.
It begins with a Pushpanjali and an Alarippu. Combined, this section is around 5 minutes. Next is a kouthuvam, the simplest item, usually 2-3 minutes long. It focuses on bhakti. After this is a jathiswaram. This is a pure adavu dance with no abhinaya. Then, there is a shabdam which is followed by a 45-minute varnam. After that is a Padam or keerthanam, which is more abhinaya based. The margam concludes with a Thillana.
Dr. Sunanda Nair, a Bharatanatyam expert, says the margam is important because “It’s like a school syllabus. You can see every step and you know what you’re learning. When you graduate with a Thillana, you have control of what you know. You peak at that ending point. The margam also gives you a connected approach to dance where everything is linked.”
Her favorite type of item in the margam is the “Padam or Keerthanam, I think. In these, you get connected abhinaya where you can really become a character instead of having abhinaya broken up by jathis.”
The Parts:
There are 3 parts to Bharatanatyam, which are all used to form most items.
1- NRITTA
Nritta is pure dance. It is made up of angas and karanas. It doesn’t contain abhinaya, instead focusing on adavus. One example is the Jathiswaram.
2- NATYA
Natya in Sanskrit means dramatic art. It doesn’t contain adavus, instead focusing on abhinaya. One example is the Padam.
3-NRITYA
Nritya is a combination of both nritta and natya. It includes both adavus and abhinaya. One example is the Kouthuvam.
Aaharya:
There are 3 main parts of the Bharatanatyam Aaharya. These parts are the costume, the makeup, and the jewelry.
There are many different costume styles in Bharatanatyam. There is a skirt style which includes a blouse and a skirt. Another style is the pant costume which is a blouse and pants, with a pleated fan attached to the pants.
The makeup is bold, with thick black eyeliner outlining the eyes, pink eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick. The tips of the fingers and toes are also usually colored red with the palms painted with a red circle.
The jewelry´s base color is gold with green and pink jewels set in. There are two necklaces, a choker and an aaram. You wear a chandra and surya on your head to remind yourself to be grounded and that you are only a speck of dust in the universe. There is also a nethichutti which is partly on your head and partially on your forehead. The earrings are small jumpkhas attached to a maatal. You also wear valaiyal.
The hair is braided, sometimes with a pre-braided extension adorned with ornaments attached. Fake flowers are attached at the back.
On your ankle, you wear chalangai. On your head, you wear a pottu.
Glossary:
Aaharya (aa-har-yah)- the costuming, makeup, and jewelry
Aaram (aa-rum)- a long, dangling necklace
Abhinaya (a-bin-ney-ah)- emotions and feelings, sentiment
Alarippu (A-lar-ip-poo)- a dance where you warm up the body
Angas (un-gah-s)- the major parts of the body
Apsaras (up-sah-rahs)- heavenly nymphs
Asuras (ah-suh-ras)- demons
Bhakti (buk-tea)- devotion
Bharatanatyam (buh-ruh-ton-aat-yum)- an Indian classical dance from Tamil Nadu
Brahma (bruh-ma)- the god of creation, one of the three main gods
Chalangai (cha-lung-ay)- ankle bells, to make your taps sound pleasing
Chandra (chund-reh)- the moon
Dharma (duh-r-ma)- good
Dhvaja Mohatsa (dh-vaj-ja mo-hut-sa)- Indira´s flag festival
Karanas (kah-rah-nas)- the poses
Natwanars (nat-van-ars)- people who keep talam
Natyagriha (nat-yuh-gree-ha)- a theater
Natyasastra (nat-yuh-sas-tra)- the book of dance
Pottu (puth-tuh)- colored dot/shape on the forehead
Shiva (shiv-a)- the god of destruction, one of the three main gods
Surya (shur-yah)- the sun
Talam (tal-am)- how you keep the beat
Valaiyal (vul-ay-al)- bangles, bracelets
Bharatanatyam has filled people with wonder and joy for centuries. It has flourished and grown, even when there are obstacles. Bharatanatyam is such an interesting dance because it is diverse, vivid, and enchanting.