is a word in the Tamil language, which means the etram or ascending of the arangu or performance stage by a dancer

Arangetram is beginning of a journey, specifically, an inward journey through dance. Such a profound experience requires a guru of great caliber, one that can transform a person into an artist. I have been fortunate to have Guru Sheela as the guiding force of my foray into this journey.

As a guru, she understands and knows me as a dancer, even more than I do myself. She nurtures my strengths, and pushes me to transform my shortcomings into fortes. Learning from her is always great, but the arangetram training was an initiation of sorts. As this is the first step of the student into life as a dancer, there are many physical and mental challenges, both expected and unexpected. Student meltdown seems to be a standard feature in every arangetram training process. There is so much going on that one is bound to feel overwhelmed. The perceptive guru comes to the rescue every time. She helped me pick myself up at every fall and continue with renewed vigor. Many things that I was taught then continue to unravel with time. I often find myself telling her, "So this is what you meant when you said..."

Watching guru Sheela choreograph is a treat. Seeing a concept take form, come to life, and evolve is almost magical. When choreographing items for an arangetram, she is fully conscious of the student's abilities and environment. Her sheer involvement is inspiring. Whenever I grappled with a concept, she broke it down to the basics, or re-visited it at a later stage in the learning process. But, she never gave up. Her analytical prowess proves her depth of understanding of the art form & the student. Above all, her perseverance shows the level of trust she places in the student's abilities.

Having guru Sheela's undivided attention is rather addictive. The arangetram recital itself is too short-lived, almost anti-climactic. The journey is most exhilarating. I sorely miss my exclusive training with guru Sheela. However, it's hardly justice if the work that was poured in ended with one show. She has shown me what it takes. It is now up to me to take it forward.

I have seen many feel so beaten by the experience of an arangetram that they unfortunately fall out of love with dance. Training for my arangetram really made me take a long, hard look at my choice. Being a dancer is anything but glamorous. It is way too much work to be considered a hobby. As cliche'd as it may sound, it is a lifestyle. This has to be experienced to be understood. I am fortunate to have come out of this experience with deeper love for dance. I owe that to my guru; she has captained my artistic perspective. Presenting the inaugural arangetram of Kalavaridhi has been a privilege and blessing in itself. This is an experience of a lifetime, something I will always cherish.
---- Rajashree(James Lee Community Center Theater, 2009)

My Arangetram journey has been very memorable to me. Starting off I really did not know what was going on and how big of an accomplishment this was. I was not committed at first and took the process lightly, but it soon hit me that learning and perfecting nine items and dancing for two hours continuously was not going to be an easy thing. The last couple of months leading into my Arangetram, the only thing I did was dance, dance, and dance. The passion and dedication of Bharatanatyam came to me under the guidance of Guru Sheela. She made my Arangetram journey special. Guru Sheela choreographed each of my dance items to my limitations and strengths, and made me connect with my Indian heritage through the art form. IGuru Sheela has also evolved me into a different dancer but also a different person. I have never felt anyone give me this much attention to me as my honorable Guru Sheela. Even though we had our good days, bad days, the hundreds of meltdowns, Guru Sheela always believed in me and never gave up on me even when I had given up on myself. Guru Sheela not only molded me into a better dancer but also into a confident, focused, hard working, dedicated girl. The day of my Arangetram was a blur, it seemed like my performance had just started when it was already finished. But words cannot describe the feeling I had before, during, and after the big day.

It has been four months since my Arangetram, and I miss my one-on-one training under Guru Sheela. But the literal meaning of Arangetram means- "ascending the stage." My Bharatanatyam journey is not over but it has just begun.
----Rhea(Kennedy Center, 2010)