यतो हस्तस्ततो दृष्टिः, यतो दृष्टिस्ततो मनः ।
यतो मनस्ततो भावः, यतो भावस्ततो रसः ॥
Bharatanatyam Arangetram of
Presented by School of Indian Dance
Disciple of Guru Smt. Rani Sunil — presenting her arangetram with a live orchestra.
Seating from 3:30 PM
Your presence is the greatest gift.
Day of the event
Doors open half an hour before the recital begins. Dinner follows the performance.
Arangetram
The arangetram repertoire — from invocation to the closing thillana.
01
A traditional invocatory composition praising the five deities (Panchamoorthies): Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga, Lord Shiva, Goddess Sivakaama Sundari and Lord Chandikeshwarar.
02
A pure dance presentation in which intricate rhythmic sequences are fused with repetitive musical notes, set to a particular raga and tala. Beauty and inner joy of dance is the only meaning of nritta.
03
Short jathis interwoven with expressive abhinayam in adoration of Goddess Meenakshi — emerging from fire with grace and beauty, she captivates even Lord Shankara and blesses all who ask.
04
The most enthralling and challenging item of a Bharatanatyam recital — a perfect synchronization of Bhava, Raga and Tala, giving the dancer abundant scope for rhythmic talent and rich, variegated abhinaya.
05
A spiritual celebration of the cosmic dance of Goddess Shakthi, the supreme mother who resides within the human heart — burning away ego and sin to receive divine grace.
06
A lively Tamil folk song dedicated to Lord Muruga, for his youthful beauty and the divine, protective power of his spear.
07
A lively, rhythmic finale showcasing the dancer's agility and precision, with expressive eyes and intricate hand gestures adding depth to the performance.
08
The recital concludes with a Mangalam, an auspicious ending. The dancer performs a Namaskaram in reverence and gratitude to God, her Guru, and the audience.
The Guru
Guru Smt. Rani Sunil is an accomplished dancer, choreographer and founder of the School of Indian Dance in San Jose, California. She began dancing at the age of four under gurus such as Kalamandalam Raji, Kalakshetra Sanal Kumar and Regetta Girija Chandran.
She has captivated audiences in India, the UAE and the US with performances in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam, appearing on Doordarshan, Asianet and Sun TV. In 2010 she established the School of Indian Dance to promote Indian culture and nurture young artistic talent abroad.
She holds a Master's degree in Psychology and an MFA in Bharatanatyam with honours from Annamalai University. She received the 2024 FOG Women Empowerment Award and the Trailblazer Award by the Consulate General of India.
The Shishya
Surabhi's Bharatanatyam journey began in 2018 under the guidance of Smt. Roopa Anand, and during the COVID-19 pandemic she continued to learn from Smt. Akhila V.C., who further nurtured her passion.
Since 2021 she has trained under the dedicated mentorship of her Guru, Smt. Rani Sunil. Under her inspiring guidance, Surabhi has developed a strong technical foundation while deepening her understanding of the grace, discipline and expressive beauty of Bharatanatyam.
She has participated in numerous competitions across the San Francisco Bay Area, earning several awards, and has completed three levels of the Sampada Bharatanatyam Examinations conducted by the University of Silicon Andhra.
A freshman at Evergreen Valley High School, Surabhi enjoys K-pop music, playing the piano, learning hip-hop and Bollywood dance, drawing, and expressing her creativity through arts, crafts and crochet.
Live orchestra
The arangetram is accompanied live by artists of distinction.
Nattuvangam
Nattuvangam — the rhythmic recitation of syllables by the Nattuvanar — guides the dancer through intricate rhythmic patterns. Surabhi's guru, Smt. Rani Sunil, leads the Nattuvangam today, supporting the dancer and enhancing the musicality of the performance.
Vocal
From a distinguished family of musicians and Kathakali artists, trained in Carnatic vocal and Sopanam styles by his father. He debuted at nine and has performed on All India Radio and Doordarshan with artists such as Shri Kelucharan Mohapatra and Smt. Chitra Vishweshwaran. Founder of Shrutilaya Fine Arts and Director & Head of Music at LIOTA, Mumbai.
Mridangam
Sri Thanjavur R. Kesavan is a distinguished percussionist and Nattuvangam artist based in New Delhi, celebrated for his versatility on the Mridangam, Thavil, Kanjira and Pakhawaj. Recognized by Doordarshan and AIR, he has received honours including Sangeeta Bhushan and Mridangam Chakravarthy.
Violin
Trained under legendary violinist Vidwan H.V. Krishnamurthy at Vijaya College of Music, Bangalore, and later under AIR violinist Vidwan B. Raghuram. He has performed extensively in India and the USA as soloist and accompanist, and currently trains under Vidushi Smt. Asha Ramesh.
Flute
A seventh-generation flautist following his father Pasumarthi Venkataramana and grandfather the late Pasumarthi Viswanath Rao. Known for a soulful style that emphasizes sahithya, he has given numerous solo concerts and composed for dance recitals across India and the US.
In frame
Celebration with purpose
“You have to help kids like me.”
In lieu of gifts, Surabhi invites you to stand with a cause our family deeply cares about — the Mithil Prasad Foundation, founded in memory of a boy who lost his life to DIPG, the deadliest pediatric brain tumor.
Since 2018 the foundation has raised over a million dollars toward better outcomes for children with DIPG — funding multi-year research grants, supporting families through treatment and advancing pediatric cancer advocacy.
Every contribution is tax deductible and 100% of what is raised through this fundraiser goes toward the foundation's mission. Tax ID (EIN) 82-2331553.
Behind the recital