Bho Shambho

Bho Shambho being performed by Poorvi Patel during Arangetram in Phoenix, Arizona

Poorvi Patel is seen here during her Padam of Bho Shambho, a dance depicting devotion towards Lord Shiva. The Padam is the dance that puts all of the dancers qualities or abinaya to the test. It is an expression of divine love or the pangs of separation in love. Padams are of two elements, Nayaka is the hero, lover, or divine lord and Nayika is the heroine or yearning soul. Abinaya is described with four elements, communicating the meaning of the songs using the body, i.e. head, hands, legs, etc., communicating the story using narrations, use of costumes, jewelry, and make-up, and the expression of moods. The above pose from Poorvi elicited an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience impressed with the graceful move.

Thillana

The grand finale of the Bharat Natyam Arangetram is this item of pure dance called the Thillana

The grand finale of the Bharata Natyam Arangetram is a dance of intricate footwork, coordinating body, hand, head, and eye movements known as Thillana. Bharata Natyam is one of eight major classical dance forms of India, the words break down like this: BHA is expression, RA is melody, TA is rhythm, while Natyam means dance. Bharata Natyam is made up of a dramatic element using face and hand gestures, abstract dance featuring complex choreography, and finally, dance and drama to demonstrate the lyric and mood of the music. Expressive and pure dance are the characteristics of Bharata Natyam. The eye, neck, face, and hand gestures are the expressive elements of the dance, and families of basic steps, called adavus represent the pure dance. During the British occupation of India, Bharata Natyam was outlawed and only survived hidden from public view until being brought back to the stage in the 1930s.

Meera Bhajan

Hemangi Patel performing the Meera Bhajan at her Arangetram in Phoenix, Arizona

This dance or Padam, titled Meera Bhajan, was Hemangi’s solo performance. A bhajan is a prayerful or devotional song, most often of ancient origin. These simple songs or acts are for pleasing or expressing emotions of love for the divine. Meera, also known as Mirabai and Meera Bai was a Hindu mystical poetess who composed hundreds of bhajans. Her bhajans were in the Bhakti tradition, a Sanskrit word meaning devotion. Within Hinduism, the word denotes devotion to a particular God and in the case of Meera Bai, her devotion was for Lord Krishna. Hemu’s recital utilized graceful, flowing movements to portray Meera Bai’s unconditional love for Krishna.

Poorvi, Hemu, Sachi

Sisters Poorvi and Sachi Patel along with Hemangi Patel during their Arangetram in Phoenix, Arizona

In order to make the long seven-year preparation towards this Arangetram, Poorvi, Hemu, and Sachi studied under the guiding expertise of Ms. Asha Gopal from the Arathi School of India Dances. This Arangetram was one of the first graduations where three students would take the stage simultaneously and represented the nearly 100th student to have graduated from Ms. Gopal’s tutelage. Ms. Gopal is highly regarded with many a recognition for her contribution to the community and her efforts of sustaining a valuable cultural heritage that is being carried into the future.

Varnam

Hemangi Patel or Hemu as most of us know her is performing the Varnam dance during her Arangetram in Phoenix, Arizona

This is Hemangi Patel or Hemu as most of us call her. After seven years of studying, Hemu took to the stage with two other girls who were also graduating from their dance studies. The dance being performed is called Varnam. Varnam is the longest and most complex dance of the performance and is considered the centerpiece. This dance is challenging in both footwork and interpretation of the lyrics. Not that I know all that much about how the recitation should be performed but Hemu appeared to have learned her material to perfection.

The Day After The Big Day

Maria and Nelson Tello at Cape Royal on the north rim of the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

The wake-up call from the Luxor front desk came in at 7:30; by 8:30, we were on the road. After driving 90 miles in Nevada, we dipped into Arizona for a short 29-mile drive across the northwestern corner of the state called the Arizona Strip. This is the only part of Arizona that you cannot get to from Arizona; you must enter from Nevada or Utah. The first stop in Utah was Zion National Park near Springdale. After a brief visit and drive through Zion, we headed east through the Coral Pink Sand Dune area and then dropped south on our way back into Arizona, going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. It was already late afternoon as we started the drive in the park that took us to Angel’s Window and Cape Royal overlooks, where the above photo was taken. Driving home, we saw the Vermillion Cliffs, crossed the Colorado River on the Navajo Reservation, and finally passed Flagstaff on our way home to Phoenix, Arizona.