Jwala Rejimon’s Bharatanatyam Arangetram

Jwala Rejimon’s Bharatanatyam Arangetram – A debut to look forward to!

By: Dr. Siva Prasad Kumpatla

Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation”. Once in a while we come across gifted individuals who passionately put their talent into practice and achieve excellence and then make it a habit. Jwala Priyadarshini Rejimon belongs to this rare breed of gifted individuals who exemplify Aristotle’s quote. She has demonstrated her prowess and hard work since childhood and has achieved excellence both in dance and music. Jwala is the incredibly talented daughter of Rani Rejimon & Rejimon Varghese of Indianapolis, IN.  She started learning Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form of India, since she was seven years old and has won numerous laurels throughout her journey, including the first prize in FOMAA dance competition in Chicago, and is currently getting ready for her formal debut of Bharatanatyam performance, The Arangetram, on August 15^th, 2015.

Jwala is the disciple of Smt. Mangala Anand, Founder and Artistic director of Nrithyabharathi Institute of Dance, who has been a tremendous inspiration to Jwala. With a career spanning more than 18 years, Smt. Anand is a highly accomplished dancer & choreographer who received training from renowned Gurus Bharat Siromani Smt. Padmini Ramachandran (popularly known as Padmini Priyadarshini) and Singarmani Smt. B. Bhanumati.  Nrithyabharathi, founded in 2008 in Carmel, IN, takes a holistic approach in teaching Bharatanatyam – it not only trains students in dance but also infuses traditional values and nurtures personality towards all-round excellence. The widely acclaimed Ranga Shankaraa, the annual Dance & Music Festival that brings world class professionals on one stage, is presented by Nrithyabharathi.

Jwala also excels in music - both Western and Carnatic. She loves Western flute which she started learning in 2009 and within a short time rose to prominence and won many accolades and prizes including several ISSMA gold medals and the prestigious New World Youth Orchestra competition in 2013. Another feather in her crown is that she has recently played master class for world famous soloist Ms. Jasmine Choi.  Jwala started learning Carnatic music since she was 12 years old and is currently a student of Mrs. Bhavadharini Anantharaman who in turn is a senior disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. D.K. Pattammal. Jwala loves to sing Carnatic music and received high praise for her performance in Temples and cultural events.

Jwala currently is a senior at Carmel high school in Carmel, Indiana. She is very active in student bodies and is also responsible for founding several creditworthy projects. She founded Band council at Carmel HS for which she currently serves as the President. She is also the co-founder of NRIscholarships.org

Jwala’s arangetram will be a visual feast for dance connoisseurs and lovers alike. With Jwala on the center stage and an extraordinarily talented ensemble of musicians and crew supporting her, it is a treat to look forward to. The event will also be graced by distinguished guests that include eminent personalities in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Sri V.V. Sundaram of Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival is the Chief Guest and Smt. Hema Rajagopalan, pioneer Bharatanatyam Guru of USA, is the Guest of Honor for the occasion. Sri K.P.Singh, distinguished artist and author will also grace the event as the Guest of Honor.

Jwala not only possesses an amazing talent but she is also born with a big heart. In addition to the examples given above about her initiatives to help students, for her Arangetram also she has decided to donate the proceedings to local charity organizations.

Jwala is extraordinarily gifted and has been nurtured well by the great hands of her guru Smt. Anand. When we look at Jwala, it dawns on us that Smt. Anand has two Priyadarshinis in her career, her own guru, the great choreographer Padmini Priyadarshini and Jwala Priyadarshini - a young talent who has the potential to scale great heights! ... and Jwala has the right skill set and passion to achieve any set goal! To hold mirror to this passion, Jwala sums up her thoughts on her website  by saying that: “Music is my life...Dance is my passion”.