She will be performing in Chennai later this month.
Beijing:
A 13-year-old Chinese girl made history when she performed the Bharatanatyam “Arangetram” in China, a milestone in the journey of this ancient Indian dance form that is gaining popularity in the neighbouring country.
Lei Muzi made her solo dance debut here on Sunday for acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson, Indian diplomats and a large audience of Chinese fans.
For ardent Chinese fans of Indian classical art and dance forms, who have dedicated their lives to learning and performing them for decades, her debut was a historic moment and a milestone, as it was the first ever “Arangetram”, the graduation ceremony of Bharatnatyam, in China.
For the practitioners of this ancient dance from South India, Arangetram, as the dance is called in Tamil, is their debut on stage, in front of teachers and experts as well as the audience.
Only after Arangetram are students allowed to perform independently or train novice dancers.
“This is the first-ever Arangetram by a student who has been trained entirely in China and is being performed in China,” said TS Vivekanand, the Indian Embassy’s Principal Secretary in-charge of Culture, who attended the event.
It was a well-executed Arangetram in a very traditional way, he told PTI here.
“Lei’s Arangetram is the first time that Chinese students trained by a Chinese teacher have completed the course in China. This is a milestone in the history of the Bharatanatyam legacy,” said Chinese Bharatanatyam dancer Jin Shan Shan, who trained Lei.
Shruti Rawat, wife of Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rawat, was the guest of honour at Lei's Arangetram.
The event was attended by a large audience of fans who cheered her on during the two-hour performance, in which she danced to several classic numbers.
Besides Leela Sampson, a team of musicians, who flew in from Chennai, sang the classical numbers for Lei.
She will be performing in Chennai later this month.
Lei trained at Jin's Bharatanatyam school for over 10 years. She herself was the first successful Bharatanatyam dancer who performed her Arangetram in New Delhi in 1999.
Jin was one of many Chinese students trained by the leading Chinese dancer Zhang Jun.
Lei, also known as Dudu, says she fell in love with Bharatanatyam since she joined Jin's school in 2014.
“I fell in love with it completely. I have continued dancing till now. For me, Bharatanatyam is not only a beautiful art and dance form but also the embodiment of Indian culture,” she told PTI.
“This fascinates me a lot, just like the beautiful and graceful movements during a dance item. In general, I love Bharatanatyam a lot. For me, it is already a daily activity and I am really interested in the culture of India,” she said.
Jin, who is well-known in China and India and has given numerous performances, says she is proud that one of her students has completed her Arangetram.
“Bharatanatyam brought us closer together. For ten years, Lei came to my house every weekend to take classes, which not only allowed me to witness her growth but also made us a family,” she said.
“It reminds me of the teachings my guru, Leela Samson, gave me when I was doing my Arangetram,” she said.
The Arangetram on Sunday is a festival for us, Jin said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published via a syndicated feed.)
