Sonam Shah, a sophomore at Ardrey Kell High, completed her Bharatanatyam Arangetram on Sunday, with an audience of about 300 at CPCC’s Halton Theatre.
The Bharatanatyam Arangetram is a classical Indian dance performance, put on as a two-hour solo performance by a young woman. She had been training for this “graduation” ceremony since she was 7.
Only seven or eight girls in the area take on this culminating challenge each year, Sonam’s family says, and called the performance more important than getting married, as it can only be done once in a lifetime. When Sonam’s guru decided she was ready, Sonam was given four months to learn 12 dances to be performed.
Sonam balanced daily training with her volunteer work and academic schedule; she is an honors student.
