The name Bharatanatyam is composed of BHAva for expression, RAga for melody, THAla for rhythm, and NATYAM for dance.
Bharatanatyam is composed of 3 different elements: Abinaya, Nritta, and Nritya. Abinaya, is the dramatic art of storytelling. Nritta consists of pure dance movements and Nritya is a combination of both other elements. Bharatanatyam is noted for its Aramandi: fixed upper torso, bent legs, bent knees, combined with spectacular footwork, and sign language using the hands, eyes, and face muscles.
The Arangetram is the graduation ceremony of a dancer and it marks the transition from a student to a professional. The student must perform for 2-3 hours, which requires intense stamina and concentration towards the art.
Milana has performed at various venues:
Indian Consulate New York City
SUNY Westbury Women’s Diversity Summit
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Conference
Milana completed her Arangetram on August 7th, 2021 at St. Johns University in Queens, New York. It was done under the auspices of Guru Satya Pradeep with live musicians from India. The program was 3 hours long and had 300 people in attendance.
Early Training:
Milana started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 7 with Smt. Mangala Anand in Carmel, Indiana. Mangala was a passionate teacher who developed her love for the art and played a huge role in motivating Milana to practice and improve her dancing. She performed in various school recitals and performed in an international assembly in Carmel, Indiana at the age of 7.
After relocating to California then New York, Milana started to learn under Smt. Satya Pradeep to further her advancement of Bharatanatyam. Smt. Satya teaches the Vazhuvoor style of Bharatanatyam and her dance school Nritya Saagaram Dance Academy spreads appreciation for the complexity and grace of the art form.